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Pentagon 'fully supports' F-16 sale to Turkey

The Biden administration publicly endorsed a plan to sell Turkey fresh fighter jets just a day after Ankara dropped its objection to Sweden and Finland joining NATO over ties to Kurdish groups.

US President Joe Biden (R) listens as Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
US President Joe Biden (R) listens as Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit at the Ifema congress center in Madrid, on June 29, 2022. — BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Just a day after Turkey said it would accept Sweden's and Finland’s bids to join the NATO alliance, the Biden administration reaffirmed its intent to sell dozens of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara to upgrade its existing fleet.

Celeste Wallander, the Pentagon’s top official on international security affairs, told reporters on Wednesday that the Pentagon “fully supports Turkey’s modernization plans for its F-16 fleet.”

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