Turkey to approve Sweden's NATO bid if supplied with F-16 jets

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
11 Dec 2023 17:48

Turkish newspaper Hurriyet said on Monday, that Turkey would approve Sweden's NATO membership if the United States abides by its word of sending F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, center, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, right, during a meeting ahead of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 10, 2023. (AP)

Turkish newspaper Hurriyet revealed on Monday, citing sources, that it would approve Sweden's NATO membership if the United States sticks to its word of sending F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.

Earlier in December, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed that Turkey had paid for US F-16 jets, but that they were being exported by the US to Greece instead of Turkey.

Hurriyet reported that the reason for the aversion to sending the jets to Ankara was based on Washington's mistrust of Turkey, not Turkey's disapproval of Sweden's bid to join NATO. However, the lack of trust would be relinquished in return for Turkey's approval.

In April 2021, the United States debarred Turkey from the F-35 program because it acquired Russia's S-400 air defense systems. Later that year, Erdogan mentioned that the US proposed Turkey purchase F-16 jets, which are one generation behind the F-35s. However, this deal required approval from the US Congress and faced strong opposition from many lawmakers.

The objection is primarily linked to Turkey's stance on Sweden's NATO bid. In July 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a defense budget amendment, preventing the sale of F-16s to Turkey as long as it continues violating Greece's airspace.

Turkey upgrades its stance

Last month, a source in Turkey's parliament, the Grand National Assembly, confirmed to Sputnik that Sweden’s ratification process of NATO accession may be completed by the end of this year if no circumstances arise that affect the situation.

"On Thursday, the [Turkish] parliament's foreign affairs commission will start considering Sweden's application. There is a positive environment now, and we see a constructive approach on the part of Stockholm. If there are no excesses that could affect the situation, there is hope to finalize the process by the end of the year," the source stated.

The ratification bid was launched in late October after Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus signed a bill for the NATO bid and submitted it to a parliamentary commission for review.

Sputnik was later told by the Turkish presidency that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed that the parliament ratify the protocol on Sweden's accession.