In a phone call with his US counterpart Anthony Blinken, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on December 27 expressed hope that Washington would fully fulfill its commitment to the deal to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.
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| The US transfer of F-16 Block fighter jets to Türkiye is a condition for Ankara to consider Sweden's application to join NATO. (Source: Reuters) |
Turkey is currently looking to buy F-16 Block 70 fighter jets from the US, as well as 79 spare parts kits to upgrade its F-16 fleet. Foreign Minister Fidan said Ankara hopes the US government and Congress will act in line with “the spirit of the alliance and fulfill the commitments made.”
Also during the phone call, Foreign Minister Fidan emphasized to his counterpart Blinken that the process of ratifying the protocol for Sweden to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) remains under the jurisdiction of the Turkish Parliament.
Earlier, the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee passed a bill giving the green light for Sweden to join NATO. 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. Turkey approved Finland's NATO membership but opposed Sweden's application.
Turkey has accused Sweden of protecting groups Ankara considers terrorists, such as some Kurdish groups or groups close to cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the Turkish government suspects of masterminding a failed coup in 2016.
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