The Feb. 6 earthquakes in Türkiye, the disaster of the century, which shook our country profoundly and in which we suffered heavy losses, accelerated aid diplomacy perhaps more than ever before in the country’s history.
Our aid worldwide for years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been met with incredible generosity. Countries worldwide, including regional rivals such as Greece, rushed to Türkiye’s help in many matters, from sending search and rescue teams to tent aid. I want to thank all of them once again.
One of the countries that extended a helping hand in the shadow of the tensions experienced in recent years was the United States. After the devastating earthquakes, U.S. President Joe Biden called President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and conveyed his condolences. The Washington administration also announced an aid package totaling $185 million.
Furthermore, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Türkiye. He was hosted by his counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, and they paid a visit to the earthquake zone together. Afterward, Blinken visited the Incirlik Air Base, through which the U.S. has shipped aid, and saw the aid activities of the U.S. on-site and even helped to transport stove boxes. Although it is not as effective as the photograph of then-President Bill Clinton’s nose pinched by a baby during his visit to the disaster area in the 1999 Marmara earthquake, the Washington administration undoubtedly aimed to convey the message that the U.S. is with the Turkish people with this picture of Blinken.
However, I believe the essential support the Washington administration can give Türkiye has not been provided yet.
As I stated in an interview I gave the Greek press after the earthquake, the humanitarian diplomacy developed after disasters such as earthquakes can never cause Türkiye to take a step back in its justifiable arguments. This stance covers many issues, from our rights in the Aegean and Mediterranean to Sweden and Finland’s application for NATO membership.
On this occasion, I would like to highlight the direct support that the U.S. administration can give and a crucial issue that Türkiye will not take a step back from, the $1.4 billion Türkiye paid but could not get back when it was removed from the F-35 program.
Let’s refresh our memory: Türkiye, a partner of the F-35 program, was excluded by the U.S. due to the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions after purchasing the Russian S-400 air defense systems. Türkiye did not only invest $1.4 billion in this program, but it was also one of the producer partners of the project. In other words, some Turkish companies were playing key roles in the production of the jets.
This issue was also reflected in the joint press conference of Çavuşoğlu and Blinken with the earthquake agenda.
“This was a wrong decision, not ours. Therefore, we have paid $1.4 billion. Since Türkiye is not in this program, it is our natural right to expect the money we paid to be paid back. Negotiations continue on this issue,” Çavuşoğlu said.
“While meeting with Antony in Washington on Jan. 18, our experts also held talks on the F-35 on the same day. It would be beneficial for this to conclude as soon as possible,” he added.
In the U.S., some claim that “the production process of the F-35s was damaged because Türkiye is one of the producing countries, which is the main beneficiary of the program.” Çavuşoğlu’s statements are also a “slap in the face” to those.
In other words, the effort to “lay on” $1.4 billion by unilaterally removing Türkiye from the program and claiming that Türkiye damaged it is incompatible with the alliance.
This is precisely why the Washington administration can start by giving back this enormous amount of money to which we are entitled to if it is truly sincere in its solidarity with Türkiye.
