The Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, seemed to be on the same wavelength, assuring that the US is constantly raising the issue of Sweden and Finland on the Turkish side.
The message that Turkey must take seriously the role that Congress is called to play in shaping American foreign policy was issued by the US Undersecretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Celeste Wallander.
During a Senate Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Senator Jin Sahin asked how the US administration is dealing with Turkey’s request for F-16s under the weight of new data emerging after Ankara’s refusal to support its accession. Sweden in NATO. The US deputy secretary of state responded that “at every opportunity the Department of Defense raises exactly the same issues with our Turkish allies and reinforces (the message) that in the democratic processes that support American foreign policy, Congress plays an important role, and it should be taken seriously.” .
He seemed to be moving on the same wavelength as well the Under Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland;, who assured that the US is constantly raising the issue of Sweden and Finland with the Turkish side, which has been informed that the support of the Congress is necessary to improve its security. As he characteristically noted, “almost all (our allies) have ratified (the accession protocol) with the exception of Hungary and Turkey. This (issue) comes up in every conversation we have with Turkey and we tried with the Swedes, as you know, to put forward a road map that they will work out with Turkey. They have accomplished many of these milestones and continue to strive to do more in this direction. We have said the same to our Turkish allies, as you just said we need the support of this Congress to move forward with the security improvements we believe they need as allies. Congress is likely to look much more favorably on the issue after ratification.
For her part, Senator Jin Sahin said she would not support the delivery of F-16s to Turkey until Ankara ratifies the entry of Sweden and Finland into the NATO. In addition, he acknowledged that there are other issues related to this particular defense contract. As he characteristically noted, “I think that several of my colleagues share this concern. I know there are other issues surrounding the F-16, but I just want to put that on the table as one of the concerns I have. I think that Sweden has moved very well to address the concerns that have been discussed with Turkey regarding its NATO membership, and that unfortunately President Erdogan is taking advantage of this issue. He seems to be doing it to serve his own domestic political interests rather than really dealing with what is in the best interests of NATO and the security arrangement we need as we support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.”
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
