In a significant diplomatic move, US President Joe Biden has penned a letter to key committees on Capitol Hill, formally notifying them of his intention to initiate the sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft to Turkey. The sale is contingent upon Turkey completing the NATO accession process for Sweden.
Biden, in his letter to the leading members of the Senate Foreign Relations and House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committees, urged Congress to expedite approval for the sale, emphasizing the need for swift action, as per a statement from a US official.
On the same day, the White House dispatched a letter to Congress, urging approval for the $20 billion F-16 aircraft sale along with modernization kits destined for Turkey, according to four sources familiar with the communication, as reported by Reuters.
The delay in Turkey’s parliament ratifying Sweden’s NATO membership bid had been a stumbling block in securing congressional approval for the fighter jet deal. Lawmakers had held off on endorsing the sale until Turkey formally approved Sweden’s NATO membership, which included President Tayyip Erdogan’s signature.
With Turkey’s parliament ratifying Sweden’s NATO membership bid on Tuesday, a major obstacle to the expansion of the Western military alliance was cleared. The sources indicate that the letter from the White House was dispatched on Wednesday, but as of now, the Biden administration has not formally notified Congress of the sale plans.
The US State Department has also joined in, urging Ankara to promptly complete the formalization of Sweden’s NATO ratification. This involves President Erdogan signing the legislation, which would then be published in Turkey’s Official Gazette. Furthermore, the instrument of accession for Sweden needs to be sent to Washington to complete the process. The White House has not yet responded to requests for comments on this matter.
