US Congress deadline for objection to F-16 sale to Türkiye expires

WASHINGTON

The U.S. Congress has given its final approval for the sale of 40 new F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye under a $23 billion deal as the 15-day objection period concluded on Feb. 10.

The approval follows the official notification from the Biden administration to Congress on Jan. 26.

During the review period, the sole objection raised by Senator Rand Paul aimed at blocking the sale, was brought to the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. Despite this, the critical aspect of garnering additional support within the committee to advance the bill was highlighted by Turkish officials.

Former chairman Bob Menendez had expressed opposition to the sale, but his successor, Ben Cardin, openly approved it, contributing to the smooth progression of the deal, observers say. The absence of objections from the relevant committee in the House of Representatives further facilitated the process.

Under the agreed-upon deal, Türkiye is set to receive 40 new F-16s and upgrades to 79 of its existing fleet.

U.S. ambassador to Ankara, Jeff Flake, praised Congress' approval, stating that it was a "great step forward."

"Türkiye's F-16 fleet is critical to NATO’s strength, ensuring future interoperability among Allies,” he said.

The Biden administration's notification came after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed off on Sweden's accession to NATO – a development that caps off more than a year of negotiations.

The formal endorsement of Sweden's membership by the Turkish parliament and Erdoğan's subsequent decree were published in Türkiye's official gazette on Jan. 25, marking the conclusion of the ratification process within the country.

Erdoğan has long tied the ratification to Türkiye's aspiration to procure F-16 fighter jets from the United States. The president also called on Canada and other NATO allies to lift arms embargoes imposed on Türkiye.

Türkiye's pursuit of new fighter jets followed its expulsion from the U.S.-led F-35 joint strike fighter program in 2019 over its decision to acquire an advanced Russian missile defense system.

Sweden, along with Finland, abandoned its traditional position of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland joined the alliance in April, becoming NATO’s 31st member after Türkiye ratified the Nordic country’s bid.

However, Ankara held out on approving Sweden's bid, accusing the country of being too lenient toward terror groups. Türkiye had also been angered by a series of demonstrations by supporters of the PKK in Sweden, as well as Quran-burning protests.

The Swedish government responded by tightening its anti-terrorism legislation and taking some other security steps.