According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Biden administration supports Turkey's purchase of F-16 fighter fighters and is seeking to secure approval from Congress.
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| F-16 Fighting Falcon Block 70 |
Blinken made the comment during a news conference with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Monday.
According to Cavulsoglu, Turkey cannot purchase US fighter planes if the US imposes restrictions on the acquisition. At the same time, he expressed optimism that the matter may be resolved if the Biden administration remains steadfast.
US President Joseph Biden stated earlier this summer that the US should proceed with the long-delayed sale of fighter planes to Turkey, but he stressed that the deal must be approved by Congress.
The talks have been going on for a long time. The purchase of F-16 aircraft is intended to compensate for the fact that the country is no longer permitted to purchase the F-35 model after defying US concerns and opting for the acquisition of a Russian air defense system in 2019.
Turkey has been urging either the purchase of new F-16 fighter planes or the renewal of the country's present fleet. The sale has been suggested as a possible resolution to the dispute between Turkey, Sweden, and Finland.'
According to Blinken, the United States strongly supports the two Nordic nations joining NATO as soon as feasible. He also stressed that this is not a bilateral problem that just affects Turkey's ties with the two nations.
During the weekend, it became evident that Turkey is saying yes to Finland while expecting more from Sweden in order to say yes to Swedish membership.
At the news conference, Blinken also stated that the United States welcomes Turkey's efforts to enhance relations with Greece.
He also stated that the US will help Turkey "for as long as it takes" following the earthquakes that struck the nation two weeks ago, and he thanked Turkey for expressing strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty, which he feels is crucial.
- The United States and Turkey may not agree on everything, but their cooperation has weathered storms, according to Blinken.