Türkiye signs deal with US to buy F-16 warplanes
ANKARA
Ankara has announced that agreements regarding the procurement of F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. have been signed and that parties continue to deliberate over the specifics.
"Contracts have been signed, and work on the details is ongoing through discussions between the delegations. The details that will emerge following discussions will be subsequently disclosed to the public," a Turkish defense source stated during a weekly briefing on June 13 in the capital Ankara.
Türkiye submitted the request to acquire the jets in October 2021. Earlier this year, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration approved the sale of jets to Türkiye, bringing an end to years of negotiations that had been a point of friction in the two NATO allies' relations. Under the deal, Türkiye is set to receive 40 new F-16s and upgrades to 79 of its existing fleet.
Touching upon the so-called election attempt of YPG, the Syrian leg of the terrorist organization PKK, the source said that the previous postponement was insufficient and that the elections should be entirely annulled.
YPG’s initial plan was to elect local governors in Syria’s north on May 30 but they had to postpone it to June 11.
Ankara on June 6 announced that the elections have been postponed once again as a result of Türkiye’s steadfast reaction.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Defense Minister Yaşar Güler previously issued warnings against the conduct of these elections, the source reminded.
"We had warned that these so-called elections should not merely be postponed but entirely canceled. The purported elections orchestrated by the terrorist organization contravene U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254 and violate Syria's territorial integrity. We reiterate our warning that postponement is inadequate and that complete annulment is imperative."
