US combat aircraft sales have become the main focus for NATO member Turkey in negotiations that have lasted more than a year, with Ankara objecting to what it said was Sweden's support for groups it considers terrorist entities, among other issues. After Erdogan publicly dropped his opposition to Sweden joining NATO over the summer, the Biden administration said it plans to move forward with transferring F-16s to Turkey.
A statement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Friday said the proposed sale supports US foreign policy goals “by improving air capabilities and interoperability” for Turkey, a NATO ally. Lawmakers have 30 days to file objections after formal notification to Congress.
The sale would modernize Turkey's current fleet of F-16 aircraft and alleviate one of the sources of tension between Ankara and Washington. Relations have been strained in recent years due to US policy in Syria and Turkey's decision to purchase a Russian-made air defense system.
The State Department also notified Congress on Friday that it had approved the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Greece, Turkey's longtime rival. American legislators linked the two sales, insisting that there be a military balance in the eastern Mediterranean region, and that one sale should not take place without the other.
Sweden and Finland have applied to join NATO, with the 2022 invasion of Ukraine reshaping Europe's security landscape. It was a radical shift for two Nordic countries that had long maintained a policy of military non-alignment.
Finland officially joined last year in expanding NATO's land borders with Russia. Sweden's joining the Western Alliance would also strengthen NATO's capabilities, in addition to its position in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic.
Sweden's accession process has been halted due to a lack of support from NATO members Hungary and Turkey.
And now after Erdogan SignedHungary remains the last stronghold. Officials there have previously indicated that they will not ultimately stand in the way.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said earlier this week that he had invited Sweden's prime minister to visit “to negotiate Sweden's accession to NATO.”
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized what he called “Hungarian obstruction of Sweden's path forward toward NATO” and welcomed Turkey's approval in a statement issued Friday.
“My approval of Turkey’s request to purchase F-16 aircraft was conditional on Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s membership in NATO,” Cardin said, adding that this was “not a decision I took lightly.”
