Türkiye expects US to move on F16 sale: Erdoğan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed Türkiye's expectation from the United States to begin a process for the sale of 40 new F-16 warfighters and additional modernization kits after he approved Sweden's accession protocol to NATO.

"After our parliamentary approval [of Sweden's NATO bid] I have signed it into law and it was published in the Official Gazette. Then Mr. [U.S. President Joe] Biden immediately sent a written instruction to the House of Representatives. We are waiting from there," Erdoğan told reporters on Jan. 26.

"The result [of this process] will lead to the beginning of the process for them to supply F-16s," he said.

The ratification process for Sweden's accession to the alliance has been completed in Türkiye after the parliamentary approval was endorsed by President Erdoğan and published in the official gazette.

Erdoğan underlined that the step taken by Türkiye has demonstrated the country's stance on the efforts to strengthen NATO and that would also be seen by countries like Canada and Sweden. He also stressed that Sweden's entrance into the alliance will strengthen NATO.

President Erdoğan informed that Turkish and American foreign ministers, Hakan Fidan and Antony Blinken were in close coordination in pursuing this process, including the sale of the 40 F-16s and 79 modernization kits to Türkiye.

The Biden administration is expected to notify the U.S. Congress for the approval of the military sale to Türkiye in the coming days. Biden, in his letter, urged the congressmen to greenlight the sales to Türkiye without delay. The administration says the multibillion-dollar sale to Türkiye is in line with the U.S. and NATO's security.

Sweden and other NATO allies have welcomed the Turkish...