US State Department Approval For Turkish F16 Deal Could Come Today

Al-Monitor reporting that US State Department approval of a major F-16 fighter jet sale to Turkey could come as soon as today after multi-year delays due to US objections to Turkish foreign policy and defence ties with Russia.

• Al-Monitor reports: "Turkey is expected to submit documents to the State Department on Friday related to the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership that was approved by the Turkish parliament on Tuesday, according to [sources]."
• The deal, understood to be valued around USD$20 billion, has been stalled since 2021 over concerns amongst members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, notably former Chairman Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), that Turkey's foreign policy was misaligned with the broader NATO alliance.
• The deal might help repair relations between Turkey and NATO which have been frayed since the US hit Ankara with sanctions for purchasing a Russian missile defence system in 2020.
• In summer last year, some geopolitical analysts speculated that Turkey may be preparing to pivot back to the West after deepening ties with Kyiv and hinting at the eventual ratification of Sweden's accession to NATO.
• Should the United States' Congress approve the sale, it would lend credence to the 'pivot' analysis and suggests that the NATO alliance has remained largely unified despite vocal Turkish criticism of US-led support for Israel's war against Hamas.