“Turkey Delays Sweden’s NATO Ratification Over F-16 Jets”
Turkey is considering delaying the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid this month, awaiting signs of U.S. support for its own request to purchase F-16 jets, according to sources. This move may disappoint other NATO allies who have been eager to end a 17-month delay in Sweden’s NATO accession process.
President Tayyip Erdogan had previously indicated his support for Sweden’s NATO membership bid during a NATO summit in July. Still, it appears that Turkey is now hesitating to proceed with this ratification. Since the opening of the parliament on October 1, the foreign affairs commission responsible for debating the NATO bid has received numerous international agreements to review, excluding Sweden’s.
Ankara wants to synchronize its actions with Washington, as the U.S. State Department is expected to seek congressional approval for a $20-billion sale of F-16 fighters to Turkey along with modernization kits. Turkey seems to be looking for assurances that the United States will act in tandem with them before proceeding with the NATO bid ratification.
While Turkey is expected to eventually support Sweden’s NATO bid, President Erdogan is not in a hurry, particularly following recent incidents, including a bomb attack in Ankara and the downing of a Turkish drone by the United States in northern Syria.
The U.S. State Department expressed its anticipation for Sweden’s NATO membership and President Joe Biden’s support for the F-16 sale. The spokesperson mentioned that both of these actions should be carried out simultaneously.
Turkey insists that Sweden should take more steps to address domestic issues related to the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) before their NATO bid can proceed.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson remains hopeful that the NATO membership process will be resolved soon, given their commitment to previous agreements. However, Erdogan has shown willingness to use the situation as leverage, suggesting a trade-off between Sweden’s NATO ratification and the U.S. upgrading Turkey’s F-16 fleet.
The U.S. and Turkish officials had discussed a plan for Erdogan to submit the NATO proposal to the parliament and for the State Department to request the review of the F-16 deal by the U.S. Senate and House foreign affairs committees. However, recent events have hindered swift approval, including a bomb attack claimed by the PKK and escalated Turkish military actions in the region.
While the White House supports the sale of F-16s to Turkey, there are concerns in Congress over Turkey’s delay in NATO enlargement and its human rights record. Additionally, U.S.-Turkish relations have faced strains over events like Israel’s conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas, where Erdogan voiced criticism of a U.S. aircraft carrier’s presence in the eastern Mediterranean.
