U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen submitted on Friday to the defence budget of the Senate an amendment that creates new conditions for Turkey to purchase or modernize its F-16 fighter jets.
The amendment filed by Hollen asks the U.S. president to certify to the relevant congressional committees that the F-16s will not be used against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) or for overflights over the Greek islands.
The F-16 deal also cannot take place if Turkey did not ratify Sweden and Finland’s bids to join NATO, the amendment read.
The amendment is similar to a previous one filled by Senator Robert Menendez that the House approved in early July.
Turkey submitted a request in October 2021 to the US to buy 40 F-16 fighter jets and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing aircraft.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on September 9th, “The U.S. is not the only one selling warplanes worldwide. The UK, France and Russia sell them as well.”
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
