Türkiye will receive 40 new ones and upgrade another 79 F-16s in exchange for…

Technical negotiations between Turkey and the United States on the supply of F-16 Viper fighters and the modernization of existing F-16 aircraft according to the Block 70 scheme have been completed. However, all this and a little more… Turkey will receive in exchange for the ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO.

This was reported by sources in the Turkish Ministry of National Defense: “We want this process to be completed positively and quickly as soon as possible. We reiterate that there should be no strings attached to this issue.”

Let us recall that the Turkish request includes the purchase of a total of 40 new F-16 Viper fighters and the acquisition of 79 kits to upgrade the Turkish Air Force’s F-16s to the Block 70 version, while the purchase of large quantities of ammunition and spare parts to support them is still is “on the table”.

It is noted that one of the main obstacles in this entire process is the approval by the Turkish National Assembly of Sweden’s membership in NATO. President Erdogan signed the protocol on October 23 and then introduced a bill in parliament to ratify Sweden’s bid to join NATO, a move welcomed by Stockholm as it paves the way for Sweden to join the Western defense alliance.

However, Fuat Oktay, chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said Turkey is in no hurry. “Swedish membership in NATO is just one of the international agreements on our agenda, awaiting ratification, – Oktay said at a meeting with deputies. – We will discuss this when the time is right… in the context of our own priorities… What is urgent for others is not necessarily urgent for us.”

PS So is this democracy or is it still an oriental bazaar? And what about the US promises not to supply Turkey with new aircraft? Or, as the Americans say, “Nothing personal just business”?

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