U.S. Senate committee to reevaluate Turkey's $20 billion F-16 deal
Shafaq News/ Senator Ben Cardin, the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced on Thursday that the $20 billion Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet deal with Turkey would be reevaluated.
Cardin, a Democrat, emphasized that several issues, including Sweden's NATO accession and President Tayyip Erdogan's human rights record, would influence the decision to lift his predecessor's hold on the deal.
Cardin revealed that he had discussed Sweden's NATO accession with Turkish officials during a NATO ambassador's meeting, and if confirmed, it would resolve the NATO issue. However, he stressed that other concerns beyond NATO accession must be addressed in the discussions.
Senator Bob Menendez, the previous chairman, had blocked the sale for months due to objections from Turkey about Sweden joining NATO, Erdogan's human rights record, and airspace overflights of neighboring Greece. Menendez stepped down as the committee's leader after facing felony bribery charges, which led to the reevaluation of the deal.
Leaders of the U.S. Senate and House foreign affairs panels routinely scrutinize significant foreign arms sales, raising concerns about human rights and diplomatic issues that can impact such deals. Ankara has delayed the ratification of Sweden's NATO membership, accusing Stockholm of not doing enough against individuals Turkey views as terrorists, mainly Kurdish members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Erdogan had indicated that he would forward the ratification to parliament in October.
However, Erdogan's comments after Menendez's indictment hinted at a potential breakthrough. He stated that Menendez being out of the picture was advantageous for the deal. Meanwhile, Sweden's NATO membership and Finland's were stalled due to objections from Turkey and Hungary. Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate panel, also placed a hold on arms sales to Hungary concerning the NATO accession issue. The reevaluation of the F-16 deal signifies the complex diplomatic challenges facing U.S. lawmakers in international arms sales and alliances.
