In a phone call with his US counterpart Anthony Blinken on December 27, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed hope that Washington would fully fulfill its commitments regarding the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.
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| The transfer of F-16 Block fighter jets from the US to Türkiye is a condition for Ankara to consider Sweden's application for NATO membership. (Source: Reuters) |
Turkey is currently seeking to purchase F-16 Block 70 fighter jets from the United States, as well as 79 sets of spare parts to upgrade its F-16 fleet. Foreign Minister Fidan stated that Ankara hopes the US government and Congress will act in accordance with "the spirit of the alliance and fulfill the commitments made."
During the phone call, Foreign Minister Fidan also emphasized to his counterpart Blinken that the process of ratifying the protocol for Sweden's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) remains within the jurisdiction of the Turkish Parliament.
Earlier, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament approved a bill giving the "green light" for Sweden to join NATO. In addition, the two foreign ministers also discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in 2022 due to security concerns following Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. At that time, Turkey approved Finland's NATO membership but opposed Sweden's application.
Turkey accuses Sweden of protecting groups Ankara considers terrorist, such as certain Kurdish organizations or groups close to cleric Fethullah Gulen – a figure the Turkish government suspects of masterminding the failed coup attempt in 2016.
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