Türkiye - F-16V Block 70
Türkiye is "more hopeful than ever" about its F-16 purchase from the US, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 12 July 2023. "Our expectation is that we shall reach a positive outcome. I am more hopeful than ever (about this issue)," Erdogan told a news conference on Wednesday at the end of the NATO summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius.
Turkey sent a formal request to the U.S. on 30 September 2021 to buy 40 F-16 fighter jets to upgrade its Air Force and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes from the United States, its NATO ally. The deal was valued at $6 billion (TL 54 billion). The deal was working its way through the Foreign Military Sales process, which was subject to approval by the US State Department as well as the US Congress, which can block deals. The request for the jets may have a difficult time getting approval from the Congress, where sentiment toward Turkey had deeply soured in recent years.
“Technical work” had started on Turkey’s purchase of US-made Block 70 Viper F-16s, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said. Washington had not yet confirmed the deal, which was first announced by the Turkish president. Akar’s remark came after a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. He said the purchase of the warplanes and the modernization of older F-16s in the Turkish fleet “also means the strengthening of NATO defense."
The purported deal was first announced by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. On his return flight from an African tour on 17 October 2021, he told journalists the US had offered it as compensation for Turkey’s investment in the F-35 program, which it was pushed out of under the Trump administration in retaliation for its decision to purchase Russian S-400 long-range air defense systems. “There is the payment of $1.4 billion we have made for the F-35s and the US had such a proposal in return for these payments,” Erdogan said. “We are working to further develop our fleet from the modernization of the F-16s in our possession to new additional F-16 purchases,” he added.
Turkey was still ready to consider purchasing Russian-made Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets, if Ankara fails to reach agreement with Washington on the delivery of US F-16 fighters, Head of Turkey’s Defense Industry Ismail Demir said on 18 October 2021. "If the United States does not approve a deal on the F-16s after the situation with F-35 aircraft, Turkey won’t be left without alternatives. The issue of Su-35 and Su-57 planes may surface again at any time," the Turkish NTV television channel quoted Demir as saying.
Members of the US Congress put pressure on the Department of State to prevent the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. On 21 October 2021 a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed opposition both for the acquisition of new F-16 fighter jets and the upgrading of existing ones. The initiative came from Representatives Chris Pappas, Gus Bilirakis, and Carolyn Maloney and had the support of the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), the American Jewish Committee (AJC), as well as Armenian, Indian, and Kurdish organizations.
The administration of US President Joe Biden expressed support for Turkey's delayed purchase of F-16 fighter jets after Ankara dropped its opposition to Finland and Sweden's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Washington "supports Turkey's modernization of its fighter fleet because that was a contribution to NATO security and therefore American security," Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary for Defense for International Security Affairs at the Pentagon, said on 30 June 2022. "These plans are in the works. And, they need to be worked through our contracting processes," she added. "Turkey is a highly capable, highly valued, strategic NATO ally and Turkish defense capabilities, strong Turkish defense capabilities, contribute to strong NATO defense capabilities," she added.
This was the first time Washington expresses public backing for Ankara's request for the fighter jets. Turkey, a NATO ally, requested to buy several dozen new F-16 fighter jets in October 2022 to boost its air force. But with relations between Turkey and the US and its European allies fraught, Washington had so far refrained from expressing any opinion on the sale. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had accused the US of "stalling tactics" over the F-16 purchase.
The warm words from the Biden administration came a day after Turkey agreed to support Sweden and Finland's membership of NATO, where unanimous consent was required for enlargement. At the beginning of a meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Madrid, Biden thanked his Turkish counterpart "for what you did putting together the situation with regard to Finland and Sweden."
Meanwhile, a senior US official said Ankara had not asked for any "particular concession" to give its green light. The official said US officials were engaged in ongoing technical talks about Turkey's request to buy F-16 fighter jets. Congress would have the final say about any such sales. The sale of US weapons to Turkey became contentious after Erdogan purchased a Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. Washington removed Ankara from its advanced F-35 fighter jet program and imposed sanctions on its defense industry as well.
US President Joe Biden voiced public support for the F-16 sale, citing its importance to Turkiye's and NATO's defences. But the deal encountered numerous legislative roadblocks in Congress. By January 2023, the final hurdle seemed to have been lifted, paving the way for the sale. According to Anadolu Agency, which obtained a draft of a US defence bill in january 2023, previous amendments attached to the sale of the F-16s to Turkiye, have been dropped. The amendments had imposed several restrictions on the sale, including a prohibition of using the fighter jets to violate Greek airspace. Turkiye had opposed the amendments saying it would not accept any restrictions and hinted it could look elsewhere for fighter jets.
Plans by President Biden's administration to approve a $20 billion sale of US-made F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye have hit a potential roadblock, as a key member of the Senate vowed to block the deal because he considers Ankara to be an untrustworthy NATO ally.
"I strongly oppose the Biden administration's proposed sale of new F-16 aircraft to Turkiye," Senator Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said on 13 January 2023 in a statement. He accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of disregarding human rights, undermining international law and engaging in "alarming and destabilizing behavior in Turkey and against neighboring NATO allies."
Menendez spoke out, reiterating his opposition to the arms deal, after the US State Department reportedly notified relevant congressional committees of its intention to go forward with the F-16 sale. Turkiye requested the aircraft in October 2021, saying it wanted to buy 40 new F-16s and 80 modernization kits to upgrade its existing fleet.
As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez was an influential voice on arms sales and could try to push through a resolution condemning the deal with Turkiye. The Wall Street Journal reported that the F-16 transfer was contingent on Ankara's approval of bids by Sweden and Finland to join NATO. The senator, who voiced his support for a sale of F-35 fighter jets to Greece, has broader concerns about Turkiye's conduct. "Until Erdogan ceases his threats, improves his human rights record at home – including by releasing journalists and political opposition – and begins to act like a trusted ally should, I will not approve this sale," Menendez said.
Washington has made "endless" demands on Turkiye in connection with the deal, Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesman for Erdogan, told reporters. "If they keep pushing Turkiye in other directions with F-16 (and) F-35 sanctions, and then Turkiye reacts, they blame Turkiye again, then that's not a fair game . . . . There's always something."
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