His American government Joe Biden prepares to seek his approval Congress for sale of modernized F-16 in Turkey, worth $20 billion, along with a separate sale to our country of 40 F-35s in one of the largest sales of American equipment in recent years. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in an article yesterday, which attributed the Washington study to US efforts to remove Turkish obstacles to integration. Sweden and Finland in NATO. The sale to Turkey, which the US has been mulling over for a year, is bigger than expected. It includes 40 new aircraft to upgrade an existing fleet of 79 F-16s, officials familiar with the proposals said.

A congressional briefing is expected to coincide with his visit. Mevlut Cavusoglu next week United States of America. The sale also includes 900 air-to-air missiles and 800 bombs. According to the paper, Congressional approval depends on Turkey’s agreement to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. A separate sale to Greece at the request of the Greek government last June includes “at least 30”. F-35, which is the most advanced US fighter. Although officials have called it a coincidence, it will surely provoke a reaction from her. Athens for F-16s in Turkey, if his own request is also granted, the WSJ notes and emphasizes that Congress has never blocked the sale of weapons to a foreign country, as requested by the White House.

It is recalled that the Greek side has already taken the first steps to deliver the first 20 F-35s with an option to purchase another 20. Already in the United States, a response was received to the Greek letter of request (Letter of Request) to the letter of offer and acceptance (Letter of Offer and Acceptance) is actually much shorter than expected. From the outset, Washington intended to respond to the letter before the Greek elections so that the F-35 program would not fall prey to political counterclaims. With a reply letter, technical negotiations will begin immediately and – at least based on the existing schedule – the first Greek F-35 will land at Araxos, Andravida, Larissa or Souda (basic discussions ongoing) at the end of the period. 2027-2028, when the first upgraded F-16s are expected to be delivered to Turkey.

Washington’s study is associated with an attempt to remove obstacles on the part of Ankara for Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

The WSJ report was preceded by Ankara’s anger over the symbolic “hanging” of Tayyip Erdogan’s effigy by Kurdish protesters in central Stockholm, as well as disapproval by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson, who called the action sabotage because of his country’s bid for NATO membership. membership. Speaking to TV4, Kristerson called the “actual execution of a democratically elected leader” an “extremely serious incident,” all the more so in a country shaken by the execution of Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986 and Foreign Minister Anne Linde in 2003. I would say that this is a sabotage of Sweden’s application to join NATO,” the Swedish Prime Minister added.