Lindsey Graham traveled to Ankara over the weekend – Strengthening Turkish military is in US national interest, he said
THE Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who visited Turkey at the weekend, said he would do everything in his power to close the deal to sell the fighter jets. F-16 in Ankara, reports the kathimerini.gr.
US President Joe Biden expressed his support for the sale of F-16s to Turkey in a statement on Thursday, expressing optimism that congressional approval would be given.
THE Biden he had met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the day before, but denied the proposed deal was a “tradeoff” for Turkey to support Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to join NATO.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Graham spoke of a “productive visit” to Turkey.
“Although we have had troubled relations at times, it is imperative that Turkey and the US take steps to strengthen ties between the two countries,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I will do everything in my power to support the Biden administration’s decision to sell F-16s to the Turkish Air Force,” he added.
“These fighter jets, in the hands of our NATO allies, will create a sense of stability and enhance the capabilities of the Turkish military, which is certainly in the US national interest.”
There has been speculation that the US would have to make concessions to get Turkey to back down on its objections to Sweden and Finland joining the bloc. NATO.
Still, Biden and other administration officials deny there is a link between plans to sell the fighter jets and Turkey’s decision to lift its objections earlier this week.
“There was no ‘exchange’ of any kind [quid προ quo] regarding this issue. It’s just that we have to make the sale,” Biden told reporters Thursday. “I need congressional approval to be able to do that, and I think we can get it.”
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