Biden pushes $20B F-16 Sale to Turkey – Reuters
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration sent a letter to members of Congress, asking them to approve a $20 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Turkey, once it completes Sweden’s NATO accession process, as reported by Reuters.
In the letter addressed to the leading Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations and House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committees, President Biden urged Congress to approve the sale “without delay,” a U.S. official noted.
On Jan.23, After 20 months of delays, the Turkish parliament voted to approve Sweden’s NATO membership bid, bringing the Nordic country one step closer to joining the military alliance.
The White House sent on Wednesday a letter to Congress urging approval of a $20 billion sale of F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Turkey. The letter has not yet formally notified Congress of plans for the sale, four sources familiar with the letter told Reuters.
In October 2021, Turkey asked to purchase $20 billion worth of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters and around 80 modernization kits for their existing warplanes. However, lawmakers are waiting for Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership, including President Erdogan’s signature, before deciding on the sale.
During a news briefing, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel stated that “President Biden, Secretary Blinken have been very clear of our support for modernizing Turkey’s F-16 fleet, which we view as a key investment in NATO interoperability. But beyond that … I’m just not going to confirm or get ahead of proposed defense sales or transfers until they are formally notified to Congress.”
The leaders of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees review major arms sales, raising concerns about human rights and diplomacy. Senator Chris Van Hollen wants assurances from the Biden administration and Turkey before approving the sale, given Turkey’s past behavior as a NATO ally.
“That said, I still have questions about Erdogan’s ongoing attacks against our Syrian Kurdish allies, his aggressive actions in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the role he played in supporting Azerbaijan’s military assaults against Nagorno-Karabakh,” Van Hollen told Reuters.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022. Finland joined NATO in April 2023, increasing the alliance’s border with Russia, while Sweden has faced delays and hurdles in its path to accession by Turkey and Hungary.