WASHINGTON -Biden and Erdogan had a phone call where they discussed Turkey's interest in purchasing F-16 fighter jets from the United States. During the call, Biden congratulated Erdogan on his recent election victory. Erdogan expressed Ankara's desire to proceed with the F-16 deal, while Biden conveyed Washington's expectation for Turkey to withdraw its objection to Sweden's NATO membership. Biden mentioned their conversation to reporters, expressing the need to finalize a deal with Sweden and indicating that further communication between the two leaders would take place.
When asked about the potential for progress on Sweden's NATO membership, Biden stated that he addressed the issue with Erdogan during their call and that further discussions would take place in the following week. Last year, Sweden and Finland submitted their applications for NATO membership, deviating from their previous policies of military non-alignment due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Membership bids require the approval of all NATO member countries, and currently, Turkey and Hungary have not yet given their approval to Sweden's bid.
Turkey has expressed its interest in purchasing F-16 fighter jets and approximately 80 modernization kits from the United States, amounting to a total value of $20 billion. However, the sale has faced obstacles as the U.S. Congress has raised objections. These objections are primarily related to Turkey's refusal to support NATO enlargement, concerns about its human rights record, and its policy regarding Syria. Despite the Biden administration's repeated endorsement of the sale, these concerns have resulted in a delay in finalizing the agreement.
Earlier this year, a smaller package worth $259 million, which involved avionics software upgrades for Turkey's existing fleet of F-16 fighter jets, received clearance from the U.S. Congress. This approval coincided with Turkey ratifying Finland's accession to NATO.
The Biden administration has consistently denied any suggestion of a "quid pro quo" arrangement between the F-16 sale and NATO enlargement. However, in January, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that the U.S. side had conveyed that congressional approval would be more favorable if Turkey supported NATO bids.
In a letter sent to President Biden in February, a bipartisan group of senators expressed concern that Turkey's failure to ratify the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland could impact the pending sale of F-16s. The United States had reportedly informed Turkey that obtaining congressional approval for the F-16 deal would be challenging if Ankara did not support Sweden's NATO bid. While Turkey ratified Finland's NATO accession in March, it still opposes Sweden's membership, citing concerns over harboring individuals it considers terrorists. Hungary has also not yet approved Sweden's bid.
The United States considers Sweden's NATO membership by mid-July, during the upcoming leaders summit in Lithuania, as one of its top priorities. In a statement, the Turkish Presidency noted that Biden and Erdogan agreed to enhance cooperation across various aspects of bilateral relations to address regional and global challenges. These ties have gained significant importance in recent times.