State Department: US arms sales to Turkey and Israel 'not comparable'

Deputy spokesperson of the US State Department Mary Harf refused to compare US arms sales to Israel and Turkey, saying that relations with the two countries are bound by different considerations.

Responding to a question on why the US is selling Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Turkey and holding up Hellfire missiles to Israel, Harf said that the two things “are not comparable”.

She pointed out that Washington’s security relations with Israel are “unprecedented”, and that the current administration has provided Israel with more funding than any other administration in history. She cited the recent $225 million in Iron Dome funding.

“We’re just taking extra care to look at these shipments as they come up in the policy process,” she said.

Harf reiterated that Turkey is a NATO ally, and that “we think it’s important to provide our NATO allies with resources.”

Turkey requested a shipment of AMRAAM Missiles worth $320 million from the US Pentagon, which transferred the request to Congress on August 11.