Bill puts F-35 sale to Turkey on hold

Legislation passed by the US Senate allows the president to waive sanctions against countries that have bought Russian weapons but now intend to purchase US military equipment, but it also prohibits the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey for 90 days, until the Pentagon issues an assessment report.

The report is expected to include an evaluation of the risks entailed by the fellow NATO member-country's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

The 87-10 vote on Wednesday sends the legislation, part of the Pentagon's spending bill, to the White House for Donald Trump's expected signature. The bill will also increase military pay by 2.6 percent.

Bilateral relations have soured as Ankara vowed to retaliate against Washington's sanctions on two senior Turkish officials over the ongoing detention of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor facing terror charges.

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