United States grants approval for Turkey's purchase of F-16 fighter jets valued at $23 billion.

The US government has given the green light for the sale of 40 new F-16 fighter jets to Turkey at a cost of $23 billion. This deal, which had been delayed for some time, was finally approved after Turkey ratified Sweden's accession to NATO. The sale also includes modernization kits for 79 existing Turkish F-16s. In addition to the sale to Turkey, the US State Department also approved the sale of 40 F-35 fighters to Greece, amounting to $8.6 billion. Turkey's ratification of Sweden's NATO accession comes after a year-long delay that caused tension within the alliance. Turkey had initially requested the jets in 2021 but delayed ratifying Sweden's NATO bid due to concerns over what it perceived as Sweden's support for Kurdish separatists. However, Turkish MPs recently ratified Sweden's bid, and President Tayyip Erdogan gave his final approval. US President Joe Biden then urged for the F-16 sales to be approved promptly. The urgency to approve the sale to Turkey was heightened by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as Turkey plays a crucial role as a NATO bulwark in the Black Sea region. Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, emphasized that his approval of Turkey's request for F-16 aircraft was contingent upon Turkey's approval of Sweden's NATO membership. He also highlighted the need for Turkey to improve its human rights record and hold Russia accountable for the invasion of Ukraine. At present, Hungary is the only NATO member that has not ratified Sweden's accession, although there have been recent signs of progress. Lastly, it is worth noting that the US previously approved the transfer of American-made F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine, to be operated by Ukrainian pilots once they are fully trained.