Senator Menendez links future of F-16 sale to Turkey to Erdogan's shift in attitude

Senator Bob Menendez, a key figure in the US Congress known for his opposition to Turkey's attempts to purchase F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits from the United States, has expressed that he could change his stance against the sale if President Recep Tayyip Erdogan adopts a "less combative" attitude towards NATO allies and neighboring countries.

"Now what's important is how does Erdogan want to move into the future with Turkey. If he wants to change course from where he's been, I look forward to seeing that," Democrat Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters in the wake of Erdogan's election victory.

"If it's the same, or more of the same, as what we've seen then I'll still have the same positions as I've had before," Menendez said.

As a NATO member, Turkey applied to the US defense contractor Lockheed Martin in October 2021 to purchase F-16 fighter jets and 80 modernization kits, with a total value of $20 billion.

However, the sale agreement has yet to be signed due to the opposition of a group of Congress members led by Bob Menendez. Menendez and others cite Ankara's opposition to Sweden's NATO membership, the imprisonment of journalists in the country, and violations of Greek airspace as reasons for their stance.

While some senators consider the Sweden issue as the sole problem, Bob Menendez emphasized that it is just "one part of the equation" for him. He also mentioned that he has not spoken to President Joe Biden since the phone call congratulating Erdogan on his election victory. During that call, Erdogan raised the issue of the F-16 and modernization package, while Biden urged Turkey to change its stance on Sweden's NATO membership.

On Tuesday, during a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Sweden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Turkey to approve Sweden's NATO membership as soon as possible. Blinken denied reports that the Biden administration made this a condition for the F-16 sale during a press conference.

According to US laws, large-scale arms sales can be subject to congressional scrutiny, such as placing reservations by the Senate and House of Representatives' foreign relations committees, for reasons such as human rights violations.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stated during a press briefing on Tuesday that they do not consider Turkey's approval of Sweden's NATO membership as a condition for the requested F-16s. Jean-Pierre emphasized that President Joe Biden has been supporting the F-16 sale for some time and stated that such a sale would facilitate collaboration within the Alliance.

Previously, President Biden had mentioned that he had been in communication with Congress for months to obtain the necessary approval for the sale.