US Democratic Senator and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Robert Menendez, has confirmed that he will not approve the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
This statement came after the text of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was finalised on Tuesday night.
The must-pass bill sets policy for the Pentagon and is the result of months of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Senator Menendez said the NDAA “is not a win for Turkey.”
“This is just one of many tools we have at our disposal in the Senate to deal with arms sales,” Menendez said.
“I’ll say it again. As SFRC Chairman, I will NOT approve F-16s for Turkey until Erdogan halts his abuses across the region.”
Additionally, the explanatory text accompanying the $858 billion defense policy bill mentions that “North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies should not conduct unauthorised territorial overflights of another NATO ally’s airspace.”
The statement was seen as a warning to Turkey over its systematic airspace violations and overflights in the Aegean.
Source: Ekathimerini.
READ MORE: US Congressman Chris Pappas targets F-16 sales to Turkey over Greek security concerns.
