Turkeyʼs parliament will fulfill its promise to ratify Swedenʼs bid to join NATO if US President Joe Bidenʼs administration allows the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.
This was stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as "Reuters" reports.
"If they [the US] keep their promises, our parliament will also keep its promise. The Turkish parliament will have the final say on Swedenʼs membership in NATO," he noted.
In January, "The Wall Street Journal" reported that US President Joe Biden plans to make Turkeyʼs acceptance of Finland and Swedenʼs bid a condition for the sale of fighter jets.
However, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the US Senate, Democrat Bob Menendez, spoke against the agreement. He accused Erdogan of being authoritarian and argued that the United States should not sell weapons to Turkey. "Reuters" reported at the time that Biden was unlikely to advance the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey as long as Menendez continued to oppose the deal.
However, Menendez was indicted on corruption charges last week. He stated that he will not resign.
- Turkey sent a request to the US for the purchase of F-16 aircraft and spare parts. The agreement provides for the purchase of 40 new and modernization of 79 old aircraft owned by the Turkish Air Force.