Turkish FM travels to Washington seeking to seal deal for F-16 fighter jets
Mevlut Cavusoglu’s meeting with Antony Blinken comes as Washington reportedly ties warplane deal to NATO expansion.
ISTANBUL — Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu travels to Washington this week hoping to smooth the passage of a request for reinforcing the country’s F-16 fighter fleet amid heightened tensions with neighbor Greece.
Ankara has long been seeking to update its air defenses and had hoped that participation in the US-led development of the fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter would fulfill its needs. However, in response to Turkey’s acquisition of Russian-made air defense missiles, it was kicked off the F-35 project in 2019.
US President Joe Biden’s administration has reportedly informed Congress of its intention to approve a $20 billion deal for Turkey to buy 40 updated F-16 jets and 79 modernization kits for its older F-16s.
The agreement, however, faces opposition from some US lawmakers. Sen. Bob Menendez, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has voiced objections over Ankara’s human rights record and its belligerence toward fellow NATO member Greece.
