Alliance without obligations: Turkey accused the United States of disrupting the supply of American fighters

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara did not receive from Washington either the fighter jets or the money paid for them.

The Turkish leader announced this during a meeting with representatives of the public and youth organizations.

He also recalled the situation around the Russian S-400 air defense systems, when the United States opposed their acquisition by Ankara.

“There were people who threatened us about buying the S-400 without offering anything in return.

Now we are negotiating the supply of F-16s, but we are being refused.

We were promised F-35 aircraft, but they did not keep their word.

Although we paid about $1.4 billion. There are no planes, and the money has not been returned.

We always keep our word and expect this from our partners, ”Anadolu agency quotes Erdogan as saying.

Last week, US Democratic Senator Jinn Shaheen spoke out against the supply of F-16s to Turkey during a hearing in the US Congress.

According to her, in order for Washington to take such a step, Ankara must withdraw all its claims regarding the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO.

“Personally, I am against supporting the transfer of the F-16 to Turkey until it ratifies this agreement (on the entry of Sweden and Finland into the bloc.

).

I think some colleagues share my concerns here.

I understand that there are a number of other issues related to the F-16, but I wanted to bring this particular one up for discussion as one of my concerns,” Shaheen said.

While Sweden has "very consciously approached" the resolution of issues that are being discussed with Turkey regarding the entry of the kingdom into NATO, Erdogan uses this process "for his own domestic political interests, instead of acting in the interests of NATO and seeking to conclude a security agreement" added the senator.

Shaheen also asked U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland to explain how the United States is "dealing with" Turkey's refusal to ratify the agreement on Sweden and Finland joining NATO, given Ankara's interest in obtaining F-16 fighters.

Nuland replied that the issue of ratification is raised in every conversation with Turkish partners.

She recalled that Stockholm proposed a roadmap, which he worked out with Ankara.

“They have achieved many of the milestones set out in it and continue to work to achieve even more in this direction.

We conveyed to our Turkish allies the same thing that you just said: we need the support of the Congress for further steps in the field of strengthening the security that we consider necessary for Turkey as our ally, ”Nuland said. 

She also suggested that Congress is likely to look at the transfer of F-16s to Turkey "more favorably" after the ratification of the agreement on the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO.

Recall that Turkey refuses to ratify this document.

Erdogan commented on this situation during a recent meeting with representatives of the public and youth organizations.

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

• © Ozan Guzelce

“I get the impression that they (Western countries. -

) do not know Turkey at all, its principles and traditions.

This is not the Turkey that was dictated by conditions 20, 30 or 40 years ago.

Sweden has pledged to hand over to us 120 terrorists who are hiding on its territory.

We are waiting for the fulfillment of these obligations.

With Finland the situation is different.

With regard to this country, we can make an appropriate decision, but it should not repeat the mistakes of Sweden.

When we announce the decision regarding Finland, Sweden will be in shock,” Erdogan stressed.

The situation around the F-16

Recall that Ankara announced its intention to purchase the F-16 in October 2021 after it was excluded from the program for the production of F-35 fighters.

Washington took such a measure because of the acquisition by Turkey of Russian S-400 air defense systems.

Then Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the United States offered Ankara to purchase F-16 fighters instead of F-35s.

“We are talking about the $1.4 billion that we paid for the F-35.

The United States, in response, made us such an offer (for the purchase of the F-16. -

).

We told them that we would do everything to provide our country with everything necessary to protect it, ”Erdogan was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

In June 2022, before traveling to the NATO summit, the Turkish leader accused the United States of delaying the process of delivering F-16 fighters to the republic.

Later, US President Joe Biden, speaking at a press conference in Madrid following the summit of the alliance, said that Washington should sell F-16s to Ankara, as well as modernize them.

According to the head of the White House, it is not in the interests of Washington "not to do this."

Biden, however, recalled that such deals require the approval of the US Congress.

The US President expressed the hope that such consent could be obtained.

In September of the same year, Ankara admitted the possibility of purchasing Russian Su-35 fighters if the deal for the American F-16s failed.

This was stated by the head of the Turkish Defense Industry Directorate, Ismail Demir, answering a question from CNN Türk host about Turkey's alternatives in the absence of a deal on the F-16.

On January 13, 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration intends to seek congressional approval for the supply to Ankara of 40 F-16 aircraft and upgrade kits for 79 fighter jets already in Turkish service.

Later, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said that the US Congress had received a request to sell the F-16 to Turkey.

"Dealing with blackmail"

As Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State Pedagogical University, noted in an interview with RT, the situation around the F-16 and Turkey's refusal to ratify the documents on Finland and Sweden joining NATO demonstrates "rather sharp contradictions between the allies."

“Erdogan declares to the whole world that Washington is not fulfilling its obligations.

The Turkish leader deliberately brings this conflict into the public space, thereby showing the value of the words and promises that were made by the United States.

Erdogan also hints that Washington is actually pursuing an anti-Turkish policy, punishing Ankara for its independence and unwillingness to support the absurd demands and decisions of the United States, ”the expert noted.

As an example, he cited the situation around Turkey's purchase of the S-400, calling this acquisition an internal affair of Ankara, as well as the refusal to ratify the documents on the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO.

According to Shapovalov, US Deputy Secretary of State Nuland's thesis about the connection between Ankara's refusal to join these countries to the bloc and the sale of F-16s is Washington's attempt to remind Turkey "who is the boss in NATO."

“The US will be even angrier that Erdogan mentions the acquisition of the S-400 - a successful case, indicating the fulfillment of obligations on the part of Russia, in contrast to the United States.

Not to mention that the benefits for Turkey from acquiring the S-400 are likely to outweigh the negative consequences for Ankara, including the withdrawal from the F-35 fighter program.

In addition, Turkey admits that Russian aircraft can act as a replacement for American ones, ”the analyst said.

• Russian Su-35S fighter

• © Vladimir Astapkovich

According to Shapovalov, Washington will use the F-16 issue as a way to put pressure on the Turkish leadership, which is in no hurry to agree to the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO.

“But I doubt that Ankara will be pliable, since it cannot leave without consequences the provocation with the burning of the Koran in Stockholm.

If Turkey in this situation agrees to Sweden's entry into NATO, then this will negatively affect Erdogan's image within Turkish society, especially on the eve of the presidential elections in the country," he said.

In turn, as Sergey Balmasov, an expert at the Middle East Institute, noted, the United States could transfer F-16s to the Turkish side in order to join the Scandinavian countries to the bloc, but Ankara would not agree to this.

“For Turkey, the issue of the transfer of these fighters is not the leading one when deciding on consent to ratify the documents on the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO.

Erdogan is making it clear that allies like the United States are not to be counted on.

Washington actually let Ankara down in the F-16 situation.

And the crisis in relations between Ankara and Washington is deepening, ”the expert stated in a conversation with RT.

Balmasov believes that it would be much easier for Erdogan to buy Russian Su-35s.

“Russia and Turkey are perfectly interacting within the framework of military-technical cooperation.

Compared to Washington, Moscow is a much more reliable partner for Ankara in the field of providing weapons, given the situation around Washington's refusal to supply the F-35 and even now the F-16, ”the analyst concluded.