The United States Defense Department finally approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets that Turkey had been waiting for four years.
The sale was finally approved after Turkey ratified the admission of Sweden into the folds of NATO.
The US previously linked the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Sweden’s admission to NATO, whom Turkey accused of harboring Kurdish terrorists.
US Approves Sale of Fighter Jets
The sale worth billions of dollars will give 40 F-16 fighter jets to Turkey and renew 79 of the jets in its existing fleet, the US State Department said.
The statement also claimed that Turkey’s arch rival Greece will receive 40 F-35 fighter jets worth $8.6 billion.
Why US Delayed The Sale?
The United States removed Turkey from a joint development program, called the F-35 program, that focused on producing next generation F-35 fighter jets.
Turkey was removed from the list after it purchased a Russian made S-400 air defense system in 2019.
