The chairman of the US Senate’s foreign affairs committee, Senator Bob Menendez, announced that he would not support the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey until President Erdogan “stops his campaigns of aggression in the region”.
Senators Menendez and Chris Van Hollen submitted a series of amendments to the law dealing with the aircraft deal to Turkey: one amendment requires the US President to clarify that the sale of F-16 aircraft to Turkey is in the US national interest.
Amendment two dictates measures to ensure that Turkey does not use aircraft to conduct illegal and unauthorized flights in Greek airspace.
Additional demands of the Senate committee from the administration: Ankara must stop attacking the ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ (opponents of the Assad regime) and approve the joining of Finland and Sweden to NATO.
GREEK REPORTER submits that Turkey requested in October 2021 to purchase 40 F-16 aircraft (Lockheed Martin) and 80 upgrade kits for this type of aircraft, which fly in the Turkish Air Force.
In the US there is opposition to the deal, and seven organizations have appealed to Congress expressing concern and opposition to the sale deal, which is supported by the US State Department. It claims that the deal is in the national interest of the US and NATO, especially in view of the war in Ukraine.