Ambassador Flake, who represented Arizona in the U.S. House and Senate, wrote an article for the Deseret, a subsidiary of the Deseret Management Corporation, which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns.
Ambassador Flake’s article is entitled “A strong relationship with Türkiye is in America’s best interest”, where he states that Turkiye and the U.S. do not agree on everything, but Turkiye is an indispensable ally of the U.S.
Ambassador’s article starts by defining the geo-strategic position of the country, how it is close to the war in Ukraine, as well as Gaza, and how Turkiye is in the middle and he adds, “Governments in both countries may change, but geography doesn’t. That’s why Congress’s decision last week to approve Türkiye’s acquisition of 40 new and 79 upgraded F-16 aircraft is so important and significant for both the United States and Türkiye. It signals a commitment by both countries that a strong bilateral relationship is in our collective self-interest.”
Ambassador Flake reminds readers that the Turkish Air Force’s strength is critical for NATO, and having an F-16 fleet ensures future interoperability among allies and gives Türkiye “greater capacity to share in our collective security.”
Ambassador Flake states Baykar’s Bayraktar TB2 UAVs’ role in Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression without mentioning its name. He writes, “Its commercial sales of highly effective drones to Ukraine frustrated Moscow’s early ambitions for its full-scale invasion in 2022 and continue to undermine Russia’s war effort.” He also mentions implementing the Montreux Convention that kept additional Russian warships from transiting into the Black Sea. This remark is also crucial as the U.S. is not among the signatories of the Convention, which limits its access to the Black Sea during peacetime.
The ambassador underlines Turkiye’s unique position with other countries; “Türkiye is unique in its ability to open conversations with our adversaries in ways and in places we simply cannot.”
Ambassador Flake provides details of the recent approval of the Congress about arms sales to Turkiye. This approval was made possible following Turkiye’s permission to Sweden to join NATO. Flake states, “Improved U.S.-Türkiye relations advance a range of issues essential for American security, strength and prosperity.” And adds that “Türkiye’s ongoing defence sector transformation — from drones and high-tech components to engines and artillery shells — is integral to the U.S. defence supply chain and the strength of our NATO alliance.” Ambassador Flake states that the U.S. is partnering with the Turkish defence industry to boost critical munition stockpiles. “In Texas, the Department of Defence is building three munitions lines purchased from a Turkish defence firm”, Flake states. He underlines, “By next year, an estimated 30 per cent of all 155 mm rounds made in America will come from these Texas factories, thanks to the U.S.-Türkiye defence partnership.”
Ambassador Flake calls Turkish Airlines to add Boeing’s new commercial aircraft into its fleet. A move that Turkish Airlines made the most significant acquisition from Airbus. This trade has altered the balance of the fleet in favour of Airbus.
Ambassador Flake states that Turkiye and the U.S. disagree on approaches to countering ISIS events, but the country is an essential member of the anti-ISIS coalition.
