Congressman Wilson urges Israel to halt strikes on Syria — Anadolu Agency
US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, urged Israel to stop airstrikes on Syria. In an interview with Anadolu Agency, he said such attacks should not take place.
Responding to a question about whether he was calling on the Israeli government to end strikes on Syria, Wilson confirmed this. He also spoke positively about the position of US President’s Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, who, according to the congressman, spoke out against Israeli airstrikes.
Barrack’s statement on the strikes
In August, Barrack, who is also the US ambassador to Türkiye, said Washington was deeply concerned over Israeli strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria. He called them an unnecessary escalation that does not contribute to regional stability.
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Wilson said he supports giving Syria a chance for stability, peace and prosperity. He also said that the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime at the end of 2024 was important for other states in the region, including Iran and Lebanon. The congressman expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for giving Syria such a chance at the request of Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
Türkiye’s return to the F-35
Wilson, who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on US-Türkiye Relations and Turkish Americans, also supported Ankara’s possible return to the F-35 fighter jet program. When directly asked about selling these aircraft to Türkiye, he said he supported it and also advocated lifting CAATSA sanctions against the country.
The United States suspended Türkiye’s participation in the F-35 program in 2019 after objecting to Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system. Washington said the system could pose risks to the fighter jets and is incompatible with NATO systems. Türkiye has repeatedly stated that there is no conflict between the S-400 and the F-35 and proposed establishing a commission to examine the issue.
