US Senatör Lindsey Graham has passed away: Remembered as one of Washington's foreign policy hawks

The office of Republican Senatör Lindsey Graham in the US announced that the South Carolina senator passed away on the evening of Saturday, July 11, following a “brief and sudden illness.” The statement noted that his family has requested that their “privacy be respected during this extremely difficult time.”

Elected to the Senate from South Carolina in 2002, Graham was among the influential figures in Washington, particularly on foreign policy and national security issues. Known for his closeness to US President Donald Trump, Graham had also previously served as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.

Graham was engaged in intense diplomatic activity shortly before his death. He had traveled to Kyiv on July 10 to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and had just returned from that visit. It was reported that he had no known health issues prior to his trip.

As a strong advocate for support for Ukraine, Graham was among those working on new sanctions against Russia. In an interview he gave in 2023, he stated, “Putin will not stop with Ukraine. Being weak in Ukraine means losing in Taiwan as well.”

In a condolence message posted on his social media account, Trump referred to Graham as a “true patriot.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also stated that Graham was one of Israel’s greatest friends, saying, “Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable.”

RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

Graham’s approach to Turkey frequently sparked debate on issues of Syria policy, Kurdish forces, NATO, and the defense industry. In 2019, he was among the US politicians who harshly criticized Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria.

During the same period, Graham, along with Democratic Senatör Chris Van Hollen, initiated efforts to impose sanctions on Turkey and also opposed Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 air defense system from Russia. He argued that this step created problems for NATO and supported the implementation of sanctions.

Nevertheless, Graham also followed a line that advocated for keeping communication channels with Ankara open. He emphasized Turkey’s strategic importance within NATO and signed statements indicating that Turkey’s security concerns in Syria could be addressed through diplomatic means.

In 2024, Graham and Van Hollen introduced a new sanctions bill against military activities in northern Syria by Turkey or Turkish-backed groups. The goal of the bill was stated as preventing new attacks against the Syrian Democratic Forces and encouraging a ceasefire.

Graham’s recent statements, however, pointed to a softer tone regarding Turkey. Following his visit to Turkey in May 2025, he said that a solution could be found to make F-35 deliveries to Turkey possible again, despite potential objections in Congress.

Graham was also part of the US delegation that attended the NATO Summit held in Ankara on July 7-8 alongside President Trump. In his assessments there, while noting that objections from Israel and Greece could be influential in Congress, he expressed that he was open to Turkey’s return to the F-35 program.

Having experienced sharp disagreements with Trump from time to time throughout his political career, Graham had distanced himself after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, saying “Enough is enough.” However, he later became one of Trump’s most loyal supporters and announced his support in the 2024 elections as well.