F-16 and embargo: Erdogan outlines conditions for concessions to Sweden within NATO
Turkish President Recep Erdogan said that the Turkish Parliament's ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO depends on the US Congress's approval of Turkey's request to purchase F-16 fighter jets, and he called on both legislative bodies to act "simultaneously". He stated this in the evening of December 18, returning from a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the state-run Turkish agency Anadolu reports.
Erdogan said that Canada and other NATO allies should lift the arms embargo imposed on Turkey.
"Positive developments on both the F-16 issue with the US and Canada's fulfillment of its promises will accelerate our parliament's favorable view [of Sweden's membership]. All of these are interconnected," Erdogan said.
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He told reporters that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan raised the issue of simultaneous approval by Turkey's parliament and Congress during discussions this week with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
"IIf we operate this simultaneously, we will have the opportunity to pass this through parliament much more easily," Erdoğan quoted Fidan as saying to Blinken.
Erdogan submitted Sweden's acceptance protocol to parliament in October, but the ratification process has stalled.
On September 26, 2023, Erdogan emphasized that Sweden's application to NATO and Turkey's purchase of F-16s were "unrelated" and left to the discretion of the Turkish parliament, but at the same time made it clear that the former would not happen without the latter.
Ankara requested F-16 fighters from the United States in October 2021. The $6 billion deal provided for the sale of 40 aircraft, as well as kits for the modernization of 79 combat aircraft already in service with the Turkish Air Force. However, the U.S. Congress conditioned the possibility of such a deal on a number of requirements, including Ankara's approval of Sweden's application to join NATO.
On September 17, Erdogan said that Sweden "did not fulfill its promises to Turkey" and therefore would not receive its support for joining NATO.
On October 23, Erdogan submitted a protocol on Sweden's accession to NATO to the parliament.
Turkey and Hungary remain the only NATO countries that have not ratified Sweden's membership application.
On November 17, Erdogan flew to Germany for talks with Chancellor Scholz. One of the main topics of discussion was the possibility of selling Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey.
Bloomberg reported that the German chancellor is unlikely to agree to the Turkish president's request to buy Eurofighter Typhoons, as tensions between the two countries are growing over a number of issues.
