Following the approval of Sweden's NATO bid, the United States State Department informed Congress on Friday that Turkey was authorized to purchase forty F-16 fighter jets for a total of $23 billion.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency welcomed the choice and emphasized how important the sale is to strengthening Turkey's defenses.
The State Department also said on Friday that Greece would receive an additional $8.6 billion for the cutting-edge F-35 fighter fighters.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), declared on Friday that he supports the sale to Turkey.
His approval of the sale of the fighter jets was conditioned on Turkey's acceptance of Sweden's NATO membership, which the Swedish parliament had earlier in the week approved.
“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.”
Even though Mr. Cardin supported the transaction, he voiced worries about Turkey's record on human rights, both at home and abroad.
In a statement, he underlined how vital it is that Turkey solve human rights issues and expressed concerns regarding Turkey's backing for Hamas, criticism of Israel, and links to Russia.
“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.
Turkey's protracted hold-up in approving Sweden's NATO membership was linked to a number of concessions that Ankara was requesting. These included requests for Turkey's support in joining the European Union, limits on the sale of weapons, and worries about Kurdish organizations.
Furthermore, former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) had put a hold on the F-16 deal, which the US had been persuaded to lift by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
After Mr. Menendez resigned in September, Mr. Cardin, his successor, kept the stay in place until Turkey gave Sweden's NATO membership confirmation.
Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, and Turkey refused to sanction Sweden's NATO membership.
In a statement released on Friday, Mr. Cardin charged that Mr. Orban was "obstructing" Sweden's NATO membership process and undermining the occasion that ought to be a celebration of its expansion.
Mr. Cardin criticized Budapest's fruitless attempts to persuade the European Union to commit more financial aid to Ukraine, saying, "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."
The primary contractor for the F-16 fighter jet sale is expected to be Lockheed Martin.
Turkey would purchase 40 new F-16 aircraft as part of the proposed sale, and 79 current F-16 aircraft would be converted to V form. It includes navigation systems, munitions, radar systems, engines, and other associated components.
Forty F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters and related equipment are being sold to Greece.
The State Department sees this arms purchase as a calculated move to increase NATO's presence in the area and thwart Russian aggression, in addition to strengthening Turkey's defense capabilities.
The alliance's northern border with Russia is strengthened by the recent admission of Finland and Sweden.
After being kicked out of the F-35 program to buy Russia's S-400 missile defense system, Turkey first asked the United States for F-16 fighter fighters and modification kits in 2021.
The sale of Lockheed Martin F-16s and modification kits for $20 billion has been discussed between the US and Turkey. Due to disagreements over oil and gas resources, the US cautioned against using them for unapproved overflights over Greece. In spite of this, the transaction has been approved by the US amid purportedly better relations between the two nations.
