Thursday, February 2, 2023

U.S. Senators Call On President Biden To Delay F-16 jet Sale To Turkey Until Finland And Sweden Allowed Into NATO

Master Sgt. Tristan McIntire/40th Flight Test Squadron/DVIDS  

CNN: Senators call on Biden to delay F-16 jet sale to Turkey until Finland and Sweden allowed into NATO 

A bipartisan group of senators urged President Joe Biden to delay the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey until Turkey agrees to allow Sweden and Finland to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 

The letter comes at a time when Sweden and Finland are waiting for Turkey to approve their admission to NATO, of which Turkey is a member. Congressional sources previously told CNN that the Biden administration was preparing to ask lawmakers to approve the sale of F-16s to Turkey, which would be among the largest arms sales in years. 

The group of 27 senators wrote in their letter on Thursday, however, that Congress “cannot consider future support for [Turkey],” including the sale of the F-16 jets, until Turkey “completes ratification of the accession protocols.”  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Turkey has responded .... Türkiye warns of ‘price’ if US fails to deliver long-sought fighter jets (Daily Sabah). More here .... Türkiye to choose another way if the US preconditions F-16 sale: Spokesperson (Hurriyet Daily News). 

U.S. Senators Call On President Biden To Delay F-16 jet Sale To Turkey Until Finland And Sweden Allowed Into NATO  

Senators want to block Turkey F-16 sale until NATO expansion succeeds -- Defense News  

US says F-16 deal contingent on Turkey’s support for NATO expansion -- France 24  

Senators say no F-16 upgrades for Turkey if it blocks Finland, Sweden from joining NATO -- The Hill  

Senator Van Hollen says no F-16s for Turkey if Sweden, Finland not admitted to NATO -- Al-Monitor

3 comments:

RussInSoCal said...

Sell Turkey the F-16s. They're already pissed at us for yanking the F-35s (and then committing F-35s to Greece - which is justified). We don't need a problematic NATO member moving into the axis of Russia and Iran (and China).

Biden has removed any leverage he once had over Turkey with his Syrian adventures and the AFG surrender disaster. We can only hope that the tenant US gov't won't create another liability where none previously existed.

Anonymous said...

Sweden offers nothing. They should raise a million man army and conquer some territory as consequential as the Bosphorus if they want to try an us or them situation.

Anonymous said...

Nice way to call Sweden and finland's bluff, they don't really want to be in NATO