U.S. approves sale of F-16 warplanes to Türkiye following Sweden's NATO ratification

The US State Department, in an official statement, announced that Türkiye is set to receive 40 new F-16s and upgrades for 79 existing jets in its fleet.

The move comes after Türkiye ratified Sweden's NATO membership on Tuesday. The US State Department has formally notified Congress of this agreement, as required by American law.

In 2019, Türkiye was expelled from the US-led F-35 joint strike fighter program due to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision to acquire an advanced Russian missile defense system.

Türkiye's air force is expected to benefit significantly from the new F-16s, compensating for the earlier setback caused by its removal from the F-35 program. With the formal notification submitted to Congress, there is a 15-day period during which objections can be raised. If no objections are made during this timeframe, the sale is considered final.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had earlier conveyed to Ankara that the ratification of Sweden's NATO membership could ease congressional resistance to the F-16 sale. Türkiye had initially requested the fighter jets in October 2021, with the delay in approving Sweden's NATO bid posing a significant obstacle to gaining congressional approval for the sale.

Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, emphasized that approving the sale of F-16s was a challenging decision, underlining the complexities surrounding the arms transfer. (ILKHA)