2024-04-02 13:18:01
The resolution, which includes a ban on the sale of F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits worth $23 billion to Turkey, was rejected by the US Senate with a large majority.
The Biden administration approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey after Turkey blocked Sweden’s NATO membership.
Reuters writes that senator Rand Pol 79 senators voted against and 13 senators voted for the resolution presented by
Senator Paul, who is known for his pro-Russian and anti-Turkey position, criticized the Turkish government before the vote and said that allowing this sale would “embolden Ankara to behave badly.”
However, senators who support the sale of F-16s to Turkey stressed that Washington should keep its promise to the NATO ally.
Power to stop major arms sales
The Biden administration officially notified Congress on January 26 that it intends to authorize the sale of 40 Lockheed Martin F-16s and approximately 80 modernization kits to Turkey.
A day before that, Ankara gave the green light to Sweden’s NATO membership.
The sale of these aircraft has been delayed for months due to a number of issues, including the ratification of the protocol for Sweden’s NATO membership.
The Congressional Arms Export Control Committee has the power to stop major arms sales to foreign countries.
However, for this, the Senate and the House of Representatives must adopt an appropriate resolution.
Senator Paul’s resolution was one such resolution.
Reuters points out that although this law has been in force for half a century, during this time no such resolution has passed a vote or a presidential veto.
After two hundred years of neutrality, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in March 2022, after Russia’s full-scale intervention in Ukraine.
Until now, Sweden’s NATO membership was blocked by Turkey and Hungary.
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