Istanbul - In a recent development, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has asserted that his country will officially support Sweden's delayed NATO membership application under the condition that the US Congress simultaneously greenlights Turkey's request for the acquisition of F-16 fighter jets.
The intricacies of NATO's decision-making process dictate that Sweden's entry into the alliance necessitates unanimous approval from all member states. Erdogan's resistance to Sweden's NATO bid stems from his apprehensions about how Stockholm handles Kurdish groups, which Ankara perceives as terrorist organizations.
Interestingly, Turkey initially opposed Finland's bid to join NATO, but eventually acquiesced to the Scandinavian nation's membership. Erdogan's initial objections to Sweden's NATO aspirations were later withdrawn, following Sweden's implementation of measures targeting Kurdish groups of mutual concern. Despite this apparent resolution, the Turkish parliament chose to delay the vote on Sweden's NATO application, introducing a layer of complexity to the diplomatic landscape.
Erdogan underscored that Turkey's parliamentary actions regarding Sweden would only proceed after the US Congress grants approval for Turkey's desired purchase of F-16 fighter jets. This underscores a diplomatic impasse between the two nations.
Notably, the United States expelled Turkey from the F-35 joint strike fighter program in 2019 due to Turkey's acquisition of an advanced Russian missile defense system, which NATO deemed a threat to operational security. Despite this history, the Biden administration is signaling support for a substantial $20-billion F-16 sale to Turkey, notwithstanding concerns about Turkey's human rights record and historical tensions with fellow NATO member Greece.
However, congressional leaders in the United States have been hesitant to endorse the proposed sale, expressing reservations about Turkey's human rights track record and past conflicts with NATO allies. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has further strained relations between the United States and Turkey, with Erdogan expressing dissatisfaction and indicating that a meeting with President Biden is not currently on the agenda. This statement indirectly reflects Turkey's discontent with Washington's support for Israel in the Gaza war, contributing to the complexities of the diplomatic relationship between these two NATO allies.