The F-16 action comes after Turkey’s parliament approved Sweden’s accession into NATO on Tuesday and amid signs Turkey and its fellow NATO ally Greece were repairing ties.
The package would be the second major military sale to Turkey that Congress has approved in recent months. In April, Washington signed off on a $259 million package of avionics software upgrades for Turkey’s existing F-16 fleet.
Senate Foreign Relations Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said in a statement Friday that he would permit the sale after Ankara approved Sweden’s membership bid.
Cardin, who is among lawmakers with misgivings over other issues related to Turkey, said he wants Turkey to make progress on human rights, take a stronger stance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and tamp down its rhetoric in the Middle East.
“My concerns have been strongly and consistently conveyed to the Biden administration as part of our ongoing engagement, and I am encouraged by the productive direction of their discussions with Turkish officials to address these issues,” Cardin said in a statement.
“I look forward to beginning this new chapter in our relationship with Turkey, expanding the NATO alliance, and working with our global allies in standing up to ongoing Russian aggression against its peaceful neighbors,” he added.
The top four leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs panels must sign off on foreign arms sales presented to Congress, giving the top Democrats and Republicans on those committees an effective veto over Biden’s designs on selling U.S.-made fighters to Turkey.
Cardin’s move is
a pivot from his predecessor atop the Foreign Relations Committee. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who relinquished the committee gavel after he was indicted on federal corruption charges, was a staunch opponent of selling U.S.-made jets to Ankara.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s stalling of Sweden’s accession to the NATO alliance is far from the only grievance that held up the deal. Turkey’s spotty human rights record, incursions into Greek airspace and purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system had increased tensions with the U.S.
The sale of F-16s also comes after the U.S. booted Turkey from the program for the more advanced F-35 fighter, also built by Lockheed Martin.
CNN — A small plane has crashed into an urban center in the southern Brazilian city of Gramado, killing all… Read More
German authorities say the suspect supports a right-wing party.German authorities say the psychiatrist accused of a ramming attack in Magdeburg… Read More
Beijing calls on the US to stop ‘dangerous moves’ that ‘undermine peace and stability’ in the Taiwan Strait.China has warned… Read More
Here are the key developments on the 1,032nd day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Here is the situation on Sunday, December… Read More
As rebels advanced toward the Syrian capital of Damascus on Dec. 7, the staff in the hilltop Presidential Palace prepared… Read More
The conflict in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 12 million. US President Joe Biden is… Read More
This website uses cookies.