President Erdogan unhappy with Biden’s approach regarding delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent meeting with US President Joe Biden during the G20 Summit in New Delhi has added a layer of uncertainty to Sweden’s NATO membership bid. Erdogan expressed his disapproval of the Biden administration’s perceived linkage between the sale of 40 F-16 fighter jets and 80 modernization kits to Turkey and Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership.
During a news conference in the Indian capital, Erdogan emphasized that the decision regarding Sweden’s NATO application should be made by the Turkish parliament and not by him individually. He asserted, “If you have a Congress, we have a parliament” emphasizing the importance of parliamentary approval in the Turkish political process.
WILL THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT APPROVE STOCKHOLM’S NATO MEMBERSHIP?
Erdogan’s comments cast doubt on the upcoming meeting with Biden on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting scheduled for September 18 in New York. Hopes for Sweden’s NATO accession had seen a boost during NATO’s last summit in Vilnius in June, where Erdogan initially indicated his willingness to refer the matter to the parliament before meeting with Biden. This announcement received positive feedback from alliance leaders. However, Erdogan later noted that the Turkish parliament wouldn’t reconvene until October. Now, he seems to suggest that the parliament may not necessarily approve Stockholm’s NATO membership. But we know his ruling Justice and Development Party and its far-right nationalist allies hold a majority.
US CONVEY PRIVATE MESSAGE TO TURKEY APPROVAL FOR F-16 JETS RELATED TO APPROVAL OF SWEDEN’S NATO APPLICATION
Judging on the narrative of the US administration Turkey’s support for Sweden’s NATO membership is supposed to be unrelated to the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets. However reports suggest that privately, US officials have conveyed to Turkey that Sweden’s stalled NATO application is a primary obstacle to congressional approval for the long-delayed $20 billion arms sale. These behind-the-scenes discussions reveal the complexity of the situation and the intertwined nature of diplomatic negotiations between multiple nations.
