US Ambassador Expects Rapid F-16s Sale To Turkey As Soon As Sweden Receives Formal NATO Membership

In a recent development, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Jeff Flake, has indicated that the final approval for Sweden’s NATO membership is imminent. This is expected to trigger the U.S. Congress’ endorsement of a substantial F-16 fighter jet sale to Turkey.

What Happened: Ambassador Flake anticipates that President Tayyip Erdogan will soon formally approve Sweden’s NATO membership, reported Reuters. Once the formal ratification document reaches Washington, the U.S. State Department will promptly notify Congress of the $20 billion F-16 sale to Ankara.

With Turkey’s parliament having ratified Sweden’s NATO membership bid on Tuesday, a significant obstacle to expanding the Western military alliance has been cleared after a 20-month delay.

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“I see no reason why, with the parliament having acted here, that Turkey would wait,” Flake said.

“So I would expect as soon as that is conveyed to Washington, then congressional notification (of the F-16 sales) will happen.”

Both Erdogan and U.S. Congress members had linked Turkey’s support for Sweden’s NATO bid with congressional approval of the $20 billion sale of Lockheed Martin aircraft and modernization kits to Turkey.

Why It Matters: The Turkish parliament’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid, after a 20-month delay, is seen as a crucial step in expanding the alliance. This move is expected to strengthen the Western military alliance against Russia.

Sweden had initially applied for NATO membership in 2022, citing the need to bolster its security in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. All NATO members are required to approve applications from countries seeking to join the alliance.

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