US: Bipartisan amendment in US to block Turkish F-16s

A cross-party Amendment filed in the House of Representatives “puts the brakes” on the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.

The amendment regarding next year’s defense budget was tabled in Congress and signed by 10 members of parliament, led by Chris Papas, who form a common front, being members of the Greek affairs caucus in Congress, in order to ensure that the the Biden administration will not proceed with the sale, but also with the upgrade of Turkey’s existing fleet of F-16 fighters.

If this amendment is approved, it will place significant restrictions on the sale of fighter jets to the neighbor as prohibits the US President from selling weapons to a NATO country that has been involved in repeated airspace violations over the last year – violations of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a member of the Alliance.

In this context, the president should provide a detailed description of the specific measures taken to ensure that US weapons are not used for violations of the sovereignty of another NATO member.

The amendment could potentially be overridden by President Biden in the following cases:

A) Provided it proves to Congress that for at least six months, Turkey has not taken provocative actions against an allied country.

B) As long as it certifies that their sale is a vital US national security interest.

In the joint statement issued by US Congressmen Tina Titus, Chris Pappas, Charlie Crist, Carolyn Maloney, Frank Pallone, and John Sarbanes, they acknowledge that Ankara’s retreat in its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO is a welcome development. However, they remind that “in the last decade, Turkey has not been a productive member of NATO, nor a reliable ally of the US” and point out that there are still too many outstanding issues, which should not allow the transfer of F-16s to Turkey.

In particular, the American parliamentarians emphasize in their joint statement that:

• Turkey remains under the CAATSA sanctions regime due to its acquisition of the Russian S-400 system. The specific legislation does not allow the government to sell a first-line defense system to a country under sanctions.

• Turkey has engaged in a series of competitive actions in the Aegean, both with systematic violations of Greek airspace and with overflights over the Greek islands.

• The sale and upgrade of the F-16s violated the US Arms Export Control Act, which only allows the transfer of equipment for legitimate self-defense operations. Given that the F-16s may be used both in the Aegean and against the Kurds in Northern Syria, the MPs consider that the necessary conditions provided by the legislation are not met.

• The US government has not provided information on how it is working to stop Turkey from these hostile actions against a US ally (Greece).

The Letter of the Deputies

On June 30, President Biden confirmed his intentions to proceed with the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. In his remarks, he noted that before proceeding with any arms sales and transfers, Congress would have to approve the request.

While Turkey’s backtracking on its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO is a welcome development, there are still too many outstanding issues not to proceed with the sale of F-16s to the Erdogan government. Over the past decade, Turkey has not been a productive member of NATO or a reliable US ally.

Turkey, specifically the Defense Industry Directorate, remains under sanctions through the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) as a result of its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system. The Biden administration has not provided answers on how Turkey would qualify to be exempt from those sanctions and how the administration would mitigate the risks of the F-16s co-existing with a Russian weapons system. After all, this is why Turkey withdrew from the F-35 program.

Since the beginning of 2022, Turkey has violated the airspace of NATO ally Greece more than 2,377 times, including 120 overflights over Greek territory. Turkey’s competitive actions in the Aegean, as well as its hostile attitude towards the Greek government, make it clear that the Turks do not intend to suspend these aggressive and destabilizing actions anytime soon.

If the United States were to proceed with the sale of F-16s, American-made warplanes would undoubtedly be used to violate Greek airspace. That would violate the Arms Export Control Act, which only allows the transfer of equipment for legitimate self-defense operations. Over the past seven months, none of Turkey’s actions in the Aegean in relation to Greece could be described as defensive, but rather intimidation. The US administration has not provided information on how it is working to stop Turkey from these hostile actions towards a US ally.

Finally, in addition to Turkey’s aggression in the Eastern Mediterranean, President Erdogan has announced that he is on the verge of a new invasion of Syria with the specific intention of targeting Kurdish forces in the North. Many of these forces have fought in the past and assisted US operations in the region. If Turkey were to acquire F-16 fighter systems, they would clearly be used in this new offensive against our Syrian Kurdish allies. The administration has not provided information on how it will ensure that these individuals, on whom we have relied in the past and may need to do so again in the future, are protected from US-deployed weapons.

Until the administration can provide appropriate answers as to how it intends to mitigate the aforementioned concerns, we will continue to oppose this arms transfer and do everything we can to ensure that these F-16s do not will be handed over to the Turkish government.

Earlier, Mr 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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