The U.S. State Department notified Congress on Friday of the approval for Turkey’s purchase of 40 F-16 fighter jets for $23 billion after the country approved Sweden’s bid to join NATO.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency confirmed the decision and highlighted the significance of the sale in contributing to Turkey’s defense capabilities.
A companion sale of $8.6 billion for advanced F-35 fighter jets to Greece was also announced by the State Department on Friday.
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced on Friday that he is endorsing the sale to Turkey.
His decision to green-light the sale of the fighter jets was contingent on Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership, which was granted by Sweden’s parliament earlier in the week.
“I commend the Turkish Parliament for its important vote in favor of approving Sweden’s NATO accession protocol, and President Erdogan for signing it,” Mr. Cardin said in a statement.
“Sweden has long met all requirements necessary for accession to the Alliance, and this move represents a significant step forward in strengthening our Euro-Atlantic community and interoperability in the face of the Putin regime’s unprovoked and illegal incursion into Eastern Europe.”
While Mr. Cardin approved the sale, he expressed concerns about Turkey’s human rights record, both domestically and globally.
In a statement, he emphasized the need for Turkey to address urgent human rights issues and raised apprehensions about Turkey’s ties with Russia, support of Hamas, and criticism of Israel.
“My approval of Turkey’s request to purchase F-16 aircrafts has been contingent on Turkish approval of Sweden’s NATO membership. But make no mistake: this was not a decision I came to lightly,” Mr. Cardin said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
The prolonged delay in Sweden’s NATO membership approval by Turkey was tied to various concessions sought by Ankara. These included concerns related to Kurdish groups, arms sales bans, and calls for Turkey’s assistance in joining the European Union.
Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had urged the United States to override a hold placed by former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on the F-16 sale.
Mr. Menendez had stepped down in September, and Mr. Cardin, who succeeded him, maintained the hold until Turkey confirmed Sweden’s NATO accession.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, along with Turkey, withheld approval of Sweden’s entry into NATO.
In his statement on Friday, Mr.Cardin accused Mr. Orban of “obstruction” of Sweden’s path to joining NATO and putting a dampener on what should be a moment to celebrate its expansion.
“Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has once again shown himself to be the least reliable member of NATO, in addition to playing the role of spoiler in the European Union’s effort to provide much-needed economic assistance to Ukraine,” Mr. Cardin said, criticizing Budapest’s frustrating efforts for the European Union to commit more economic aid to Ukraine.
Lockheed Martin is set to be the main contractor for the sale of the F-16 fighter jets.
The proposed sale includes the acquisition of 40 new F-16 aircraft by Turkey and the modernization of 79 existing F-16 aircraft to V-configuration. It encompasses engines, radar systems, missile launchers, bombs, guidance systems, and various related elements.
The Greek sale involves 40 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters and associated equipment.
This arms deal is viewed by the State Department not only as a bolstering of Turkey’s defense capabilities but also as a strategic move to expand NATO’s presence and counter Russian aggression in the region.
The recent entries of Sweden and Finland into NATO serve to strengthen the alliance’s northern border with Russia.
Turkey first requested F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits from the United States in 2021 after being removed from the F-35 program for purchasing Russia’s S-400 missile defense system.
The United States and Turkey have discussed the sale of $20 billion of Lockheed Martin F-16s and modernization kits. However, the United States warned that they must not be used for unauthorized overflights of Greece due to disputes over oil and gas deposits. Despite this, the United States has approved the sale amid reportedly improved relations between the two countries.
