Turkey urged the United States to go ahead with its planned sale of about 40 new F-16 fighter jets during Wednesday’s meeting of the two countries’ foreign ministers in Washington.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cevasoglu for the first time since the Biden administration took office.
The F-16 deal was high on the agenda, as was the war in Ukraine. Turkey’s refusal to green light NATO membership for Finland and Sweden as well as its plans to attack US-backed Kurdish groups in Syria were also discussed.
The Biden administration has expressed support for the $20 billion (€18.53 billion) sale as it seeks to put pressure on Ankara to drop opposition to NATO membership.
But one US congressman also threatened to block the sale, citing Turkish aggression in the region.
Turkey’s NATO complications
Both Turkey and the US are members of the NATO alliance, but Turkey is the only country to oppose Swedish and Finnish membership bids – which require approval – citing Nordic countries’ support for Kurdish groups Ankara has designated as terrorists.
Turkey also distanced itself from the firm opposition of the rest of the NATO bloc to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, preferring the role of a neutral intermediary. See the article : The commanders question the official decisions in the loss to the Giants.
Turkey holds key to NATO membership for Sweden, Finland
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But Ankara said the F-16 deal is important for both countries as well as for NATO as a whole. See the article : National Day of the Republic of the Congo – US State Department.
“As we said together before, this is important not only for Turkey, but also for NATO and the United States,” Cavusoglu said.
“So we expect approval in line with our shared strategic interests.”
US lawmakers oppose deal
The deal did not pass unopposed in Washington, with Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen calling for guarantees as part of the trade. See the article : What books are Central Pennsylvanians reading this summer?.
“[Turkish President Tayyip] Erdogan’s repeated attacks on our Syrian Kurdish allies and continued fawning over Russia – including delaying Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership – remain serious causes for concern,” Van Hollen said in a statement.
“As I said before, for Turkey to get the F-16, we need assurances that these concerns will be addressed,” he said.
Another Democratic senator, Bob Menendez, vowed to block the sale, pointing to Erdogan’s threats against neighboring Greece, as well as the arrest of the popular Istanbul mayor who was considered one of the president’s main rivals in the upcoming May election.
Turkish opposition outraged by prison sentence for Imamoglu: DW’s Dorian Jones
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Menendez said he would block the deal until Erdogan “stops his campaign of aggression throughout the region.”
Already in 2019, Turkey was banned from buying more modern F-35 aircraft after it started selling weapons from Russia. The United States is also currently working on a deal to sell the F-35 to Greece.
What is Army Aviation called?
Does the U.S. military have aviation? Military pilots are responsible for flying fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence, engage in combat, rescue and humanitarian missions.
What is the Army flight school called?
The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, formerly known as the Army Aviation Center and School, is the headquarters and training and development center for the U.S. Army Aviation Division, located at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
What Mos is an Army aviation pilot?
153D MOS. Perform the duties of a UH-60 pilot.
Why is the F-16 so popular?
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively inexpensive, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied countries.
Is the F-16 better than the F-15? Overall, the F-16 appears less favorable than the F-15 due to its lower top speed, service ceiling, and lower rate of climb. However, while the F-16 is less powerful than the F-15, it is more maneuverable as a single-engine fighter aircraft.
Has a U.S. F-16 ever been shot down?
1999 (Operation Allied Force) May 2 – An F-16C Fighting Falcon (serial number 88-0550) was shot down by a Yugoslav SA-3 SAM. The plane crashed near Åabac in rural Serbia. The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel David L.
Is the F-16 still a good fighter?
While the Cold War-era fighter may be nearly seven decades old before it is retired, it remains a vital fourth-generation fighter.
Why the F-16 is such a badass plane?
The first fighter aircraft to use a “fly-by-wire” control system in which computers, electrical wires and servos, rather than cables or direct hydraulics, transmit pilot commands to the aircraft’s control surfaces, the F-16 was so responsive and maneuverable that it required pilots to learn a whole new way…
What are American fighter planes called?
F-16 Fighting Falcon (United States) The F-16, also called Fighting Falcon, is a single-seat, single-engine jet fighter built by General Dynamics Corporation (now part of Lockheed Martin Corporation) for the United States and more than a dozen other countries.
Why are American jets called F? F: Warrior. K: Tanker (dropped 1977-1985) L: Equipped with a laser. A: Observation (forward air control)
What are U.S. fighter jets called?
F-16 Fighting Falcon.
What are fighter planes called?
Combat aircraft are designed to destroy enemy equipment or personnel using their own aviation ammunition. Combat aircraft are typically developed and procured solely by the armed forces. Non-combat aircraft are not intended for combat as their primary function, but can carry self-defense weapons.
