U.S. lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties are urging President Joe Biden's administration not to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, expressing confidence that Congress will block such a deal. In a letter to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 11 House members voiced "deep concern" over recent reports regarding Turkey's potential purchase of 40 new F-16 aircraft from Lockheed Martin and 80 modernization kits for the same model. The letter dates back to October 25 and was reviewed by Reuters on Tuesday.
The lawmakers wrote, "In light of President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan's announcement in September that Turkey will purchase another batch of S-400 missile defense systems, we cannot jeopardize our national security by sending American-made aircraft to an ally who continues to act as an adversary." The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment. A State Department spokesperson stated that the department does not comment on correspondence with Congress.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Turkey had requested to buy 40 F-16 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin and about 80 modernization kits for its existing aircraft. Ankara had previously requested more than 100 F-35s, which are also produced by Lockheed Martin, but the U.S. removed Turkey from the program after it acquired Russian S-400 missiles.
The lawmakers' letter stated, "We trust that Congress will stand united to prevent any of these exports should these plans move forward, but the United States cannot afford to transfer any advanced military equipment to the Turkish government at this time." The partnership between the two NATO member countries has faced tough times over the past five years due to differences regarding Syria, Turkey's warming relations with Moscow, its maritime ambitions in the Mediterranean, U.S. allegations against a state-owned Turkish bank, and the decline of rights and freedoms in Turkey.
