Turkey violates US law when its F-16s fly over the Aegean

Every year the United States enacts a law titled the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It sets forth a comprehensive legal framework for the armed forces as well as measures for national and international security. The NDAA for 2020 became law on December 20, 2019. Among its voluminous provisions, Turkey is removed from the F-35 program as a sanction because it has purchased the Russian S-400 air defense system. The US Congress has determined that this purchase violates the legal terms and conditions with which Turkey must comply in order to participate in the F-35 program. Further sanctions may be imposed on Turkey if it deploys the S-400s.

Ironically, the US Congress ignores a violation of US law which Turkey has been systematically committing for almost two decades. For years, the US has sold F-16s and upgrades to such fighter jets to Turkey. At least since 2004,...