US Congress Secretly Blocks Arms Sales to Turkey for Nearly Two Years

The four main members of Congress have frozen all major arms sales to Turkey for nearly two years to pressure Ankara to abandon Russian S-400 air defense systems, Defense News reports.

It remains unclear how many potential sales have been delayed, but at least two significant deals are currently on hold: the follow-up contract for structural upgrades on F-16s and the export licenses for engines made in the U.S., which Turkey needs to complete a $1.5 billion project to sell helicopters to Pakistan.

Historically, the United States has been the largest arms exporter to Turkey.

When Congress halts the sale of major arms systems, such as tanks, aircraft, and ships, it usually aims to condemn the military or political actions of a country. However, the suspension of arms sales is a diplomatic tool that the United States has not used against Turkey since 1978, when Turkish forces invaded Cyprus.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch and House Foreign Affairs Committee senior member Mike McCaul have acknowledged their involvement in the freeze on arms sales to Turkey.

Traditionally, the leaders and senior members of the Senate and House Foreign Relations Committees, known as the "four corners," get the opportunity to persuade the U.S. State Department regarding arms sales to foreign nations. Lawmakers have utilized this notification period to block the advancement of sales, though they believe that such discussions are delicate and are rarely spoken of publicly.