In the official position expressed by the US government and the position taken by Congress on the issue of Turkish F-16s, the representative State DepartmentNed Price, during another briefing by diplomatic editors.

Asked by APE-MPE about whether the accession process of Sweden and Finland was a condition for the F-16, Mr. Price explained that the US government continues to support Turkey’s request politically, while recognizing that Congress has a role to play. in this process.

As he emphasized, “in our political system, these are decisions that are not left to the discretion of the executive branch alone. These are the forms of decisions that our legislators, our colleagues in Congress, have a say in.”

He also noted the following regarding the position of US lawmakers: “We have made it clear to Congress that we support the F-16. Congress has made its position clear, or, I should say, individual senators – or groups of senators, in some cases – have made their position known.”

Recall that on Friday, 27 senators – both Democrats and Republicans – sent a letter to President Biden asking him not to approve the sale of the F-16 until Turkey agrees to the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO.

In his response, the representative of the US State Department praised Turkey’s role in NATO, assuring that the government’s official position on the F-16 has not changed. But he declined to comment on whether there is a reason the State Department has delayed formally briefing Congress on Turkey’s request.

With the technical talks between the two countries completed, it is now up to the US administration to decide when to refer the defense contract to the appropriate congressional committees.

Complete answer by Ned Price

Question: Today, 27 senators, both Democrats and Republicans, sent a letter to President Biden asking him not to approve the F-16 sale until Turkey agrees to allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO. Do you share the same position regarding their sale? Can you explain to us, now that the technical talks are over, why are you postponing sending the official briefing to Congress?