Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: Final toll from airstrike on car in Zebdine, Nabatieh District: Two martyrs, four injured
Egyptian media: Indirect talks between Hamas and Israelis begin in Sharm el-Sheikh.
AFP: France's new PM Sebastein Lecornu resigns just hours after unveiling cabinet.
Trump: Technical teams will meet again on Monday in Egypt to discuss and clarify the final details, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed this week
US President Donald Trump: Talks with Hamas have been very successful and are moving at a rapid pace
Local sources in Aleppo: Violent clashes erupt between the SDF and factions affiliated with the transitional authority on the Deir Hafer and Tishrin Dam fronts in the eastern Aleppo countryside
Israeli media: Interceptor missiles fired in an attempt to shoot down the drone
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded amid suspected "enemy aircraft" infiltrating the Eilat area
Israeli media: "Israel" won the battle but lost the war strategically and politically
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport's airspace closed to air traffic following missile launch from Yemen

Turkish Vatan party calls for Ankara to revoke US F-16 sale request

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 18 Jul 2022 12:30
4 Min Read

Turkey's Vatan Party, though it has no representation in Parliament, is calling on Turkey to isolate itself from Washington's F-16s after calling for Ankara to leave NATO behind.

  • x
  • A US Air Force F-16 fighter taking part in the US-led Saber Strike exercise flies over Estonia June 6, 2018 (Reuters)
    A US Air Force F-16 fighter taking part in the US-led Saber Strike exercise flies over Estonia on June 6, 2018 (Reuters)

Turkish Patriotic Party (Vatan) chairman Dogu Perincek on Monday called on the authorities in Ankara to withdraw its request to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the United States.

The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act constraining the impending transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. The amendment requires there to be assurances on behalf of the US president that the aircraft will not be used for unauthorized territorial overflights in Greece.

"The persistence in buying F-16s from the US/NATO, which is threatening our country, runs counter to our national pride and interests. The policy 'you did not give us our F-35s, at least sell us the F-16s' has failed. No one has the right to put our state in this position," Turkish newspaper Aydınlık quoted Perincek as saying.

It is NATO that poses a threat to Turkey from Greece, the eastern Mediterranean, Syria, and northern Iraq, therefore no threat from Ankara should have been expected, he added.

"Isn't it obvious that we cannot use the weapons we obtained from them?" Perincek asked. "The request for F-16s should be withdrawn, with our needs to be met at the expense of our true friends in Asia until a national combat aircraft is completed."

Turkey and the United States have long had issues when it comes to the latter's fighter jets programs. In 2019, Washington suspended Ankara's participation in its F-35 program over Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system and later completely removed it. 

Related News

White House concerned about unfolding domestic terrorism conspiracy

Von der Leyen faces no-confidence vote for 'surrendering Europe' to US

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 2021 announced that the US suggested that Turkey procure the fourth generation of the F-16 fighter jets instead of the fifth generation of F-35s.

Erdogan’s Spokesperson Fahrettin Altun said earlier this year that Washington’s removal of Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 was "unlawful". The US rejected the delivery of the promised aircraft after Turkey refused its demand to scrap buying S-400s.

Altun also shot down an idea raised by Washington that Ankara should transfer its Russian S-400 systems to Ukraine in exchange for the F-35 fighter jets his country had been denied.

The US Congress has yet to approve the F-16 deal, with the situation being complicated by reports that Greece was pressuring the US to force Washington not to sell upgraded F-16 combat aircraft to Turkey, citing its own security concerns.

Perincek stated earlier that the party intended to recommend to parliament that the Turkish government withdraws from NATO. He also argued that the policy against the alliance is important for the country's economic future.

As thousands of signatures were gathered in more than a hundred provinces and regions, Vatan Party Secretary-General Ozgur Bursli declared last Monday the beginning of a widespread campaign to persuade Ankara to leave NATO in Turkey's major cities. Bursli noted that the number of Turkish people protesting NATO was steadily growing.

NATO had been actively attempting to isolate Russia since the beginning of its operation in Ukraine. However, Turkey, since the start, balanced a relationship between the two great powers based on its interests with both. The country has been a member of NATO since 18 February 1952, and yet it has had a multitude of fruitful agreements with both Russia and China at times when the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance had its deep feuds with the two. 

  • United States
  • Turkey
  • Nato
  • Russia
  • Greece
  • Ukraine
  • Ankara

Most Read

Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)

Hamas reviews Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan as PIJ rejects

  • Palestine
  • 30 Sep 2025
Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Hezbollah's representative in Iran, Sayyed Abdullah Safieddine, during an interview with Al Mayadeen which aired on October 6, 2025 (Al Mayadeen)
Politics

Tehran never interferes in Hezbollah decisions: Representative in Iran

Smoke billows over the Gaza Strip following an Israeli bombardment, as seen from southern Palestine, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Indirect talks for a ceasefire in Gaza begin in Sharm El-Sheikh: Egypt

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prepare to attend a military parad in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Security forces seal Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh districts

Amsterdam Captain Mohammed Ali Mohiuddin, who took part in the Global Sumud mission to Gaza, talks to Al Mayadeen on October 6, 2025 (Screengrab)
Politics

GSF captain says despite abuse, 'Israel weaker than spider's web'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS