WASHINGTON – US gives Turkey a big blow by blocking the sale of 100 F – 35stealth fighter jets deal.

A U.S. Senate committee passed its version of a $716 billion defense policybill on Thursday, including a measure to preventlink>link>Turkeylink> from purchasing Lockheed MartinF-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets.

The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, fromDemocratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Senator Thom Tillis, wouldremove link>link>Turkeylink> from the F-35 program over itsdetention of U.S. citizen Andrew Brunson, Shaheen’s office said.READ MORE: Erdogan to start election campaign from eastern Turkeylink>

Brunson, a Christian pastor who could be jailed for up to 35 years, deniedterrorism and spying charges in a Turkish court this month. He has been inpre-trial detention since 2016.

It also faults NATO ally link>link>Turkeylink> for its agreement with Russia inDecember to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries. Ankara wants thesystem to boost its defense capabilities amid threats from Kurdish andIslamist militants at home and conflicts across its borders in Syria andIraq.