The Biden administration has told Congress it is preparing the potential $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, sparking an immediate objection from a senior U.S. lawmaker who has long opposed the deal.
The State Department sent the informal notice to Congress on Thursday, three sources said, informing committees overseeing arms sales in the Senate and House of Representatives of its intention to proceed with the proposed deal.F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes. Technical talks between the two sides recently concluded.
While the sale is still in the informal review process, Congress is also unlikely to approve the sale as long as Turkey refuses to proceed with the ratification of Sweden and Finland's NATO membership. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was disregarding human rights and democratic norms and engaging in "alarming and destabilizing behavior in Turkey and against neighboring NATO allies," Menendez said in his statement.
Turkey's 2019 acquisition of Russian air defense systems resulted in Ankara being kicked out of the next-generation F-35 fighter jet program and antagonized the U.S. Congress. Disagreements with Washington over Syria policy and Turkey's deteriorating record on human rights and freedom of expression also weighs on congressional sentiment.
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