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A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet: deal with Turkey
Photo: Sra Haiden Morris / US Air / IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
After Turkey's final approval of Sweden's NATO membership, the US government initiated the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara. The responsible authority announced on Friday evening (local time) that Congress in Washington had been informed about the planned arms deal. The US Parliament does not have to approve the deal, but can block it if in doubt. However, this is considered unlikely after Turkey finally gave its OK for Sweden to join NATO.
After a year and a half of political tug-of-war, the majority of parliamentarians in Ankara voted for Sweden to join NATO on Tuesday evening. The decision became final on Thursday evening with the publication of the so-called accession protocols in the Turkish government gazette. The NATO country Hungary still has to officially agree to the admission of Sweden.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had tied his country's approval to, among other things, fighter jet deliveries from the USA. So far, however, there have been reservations in Congress. A number of parliamentarians had repeatedly made it clear that they wanted to prevent the deal as long as Turkey blocked Sweden's accession to NATO. Now nothing should stand in the way of the sale.
Blinken was last in Istanbul
The US government had long emphasized its willingness to support Erdoğan's planned modernization of the fleet - and at the same time made it clear that this was not a consideration for the country's consent to NATO's northern expansion. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken only met his Turkish colleague Hakan Fidan and then Erdoğan in Istanbul at the beginning of January.
»My approval of Turkey's request to purchase F-16 aircraft was dependent on Turkey's approval of Sweden's NATO membership. “But make no mistake: I did not make this decision lightly,” said Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Relations Committee, one of four key committees that must approve arms transfers.
One of the most powerful fighter aircraft in the world
Turkey first applied for the jets in October 2021, but Ankara's delay in ratifying Sweden's NATO membership had been a major obstacle to US Congress approval.
The F-16 fighter jet is one of the most powerful military jets in the world and is used in more than two dozen countries. The machines from the US company Lockheed Martin can be used both in air defense and against targets on the ground, i.e. to push back enemy units. The F-16 is capable of flying at extremely low altitudes and in all weather conditions.
The US administration of US President Joe Biden told Congress that the sale included, among other things, 40 new F-16 fighter jets as well as modernization packages for 79 F-16 jets already in Turkey's possession. The total value of the package is around 23 billion US dollars (around 21 billion euros).
hen/dpa/Reuters