The chairman of the US Senate’s international relations committee, Democrat Bob Menendez, said on Monday that there is a temporary “decline” in Turkey’s “aggression” against its neighbors, adding that he is holding talks with President Joe Biden’s administration regarding his stance on the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.

Mr Menendez told Reuters news agency that while he continued to have concerns about Turkey, he would decide next week whether to lift his reservations about the sale.

He made the statement on the day that Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed to push through the Turkish parliament the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession protocol.

Asked if this particular development, which Washington sees as a major advance, would prompt him to lift his reservations about selling the fighters, Mr Menendez replied: “we are holding talks with the government”. He added that “if (the Biden administration) can find a way to ensure that Turkey’s aggression towards its neighbors is ended, and it has been declining in recent months, that would be great, but that would have to become a permanent reality.” ».

Furthermore, Senator Menendez said that a way should be found to “strengthen the security of Greece” and to ensure “assurances regarding future actions”.

Asked when he would decide what stance he would take on the sale of F-16s to Turkey, Mr Menendez said he would “probably” do so, if it was “possible”, within “the next week”.