US and NATO Interests Support Sale of F-16s to Turkey, Biden Administration

The Biden administration believes that the potential sale of American F-16 fighter jets to Turkey aligns with U.S. national security interests, as well as with NATO's long-term unity. This information is stated in a letter from the State Department to Congress, as reported by Ermenihaber.am.

The letter also mentions that Turkey has not yet received guarantees or timelines from the U.S. regarding the transaction. It emphasizes that despite strained relations between the U.S. and Turkey, the Turkish-Ukrainian ties in the military domain are seen as a "preventive measure against actions that could harm the region."

The State Department’s letter responds to several congressional inquiries urging the Biden administration not to sell the fighter jets to Turkey. In October 2021, Turkey requested the U.S. to sell 40 F-16 fighter jets.

It is noteworthy that in 2019, Turkey was removed from the joint production program for the advanced F-35 fighter jets, which involves several NATO member countries following Turkey’s procurement of the S-400 missile defense systems from Russia.

In hopes of receiving compensation or resolving the issue, Ankara reached out to Washington months ago to buy 40 fourth-generation F-16 military aircraft and to modernize its existing fleet of 80 F-16 jets.