US State Department Approves Sale of F-16 Fighters to Turkey

The Biden administration has approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey following an agreement signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regarding Sweden's accession to NATO, according to CNN.

The State Department has notified Congress of the approval. As part of the $23 billion sale, Turkey is set to receive 40 new F-16 aircraft and upgraded equipment for an additional 79 jets.

According to CNN, the sale of the F-16s was one of the key leverage points for the Biden administration to apply pressure on Turkey. During Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Turkey in February 2023, Erdoğan emphasized the necessity of moving the aircraft before the NATO alliance approved Sweden's entry, to which Blinken responded that Congress members would not approve the sale.