Sweden joins NATO: Erdogan links ratification to fighter plane deal

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again linked his country’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership to a supply of fighter jets from the US.

He sent the NATO proposal to parliament for ratification. “I expect something from you (now),” Erdogan told the US on Wednesday, his office said. On a flight back from Qatar, he told his interlocutors that the approval of the US Congress for the delivery of the F-16 and the ratification of the Turkish parliament should take place at the same time. Erdogan had already linked his approval to the fighter jet deal in September.

Blocked in a committee

At the end of October, he presented Sweden’s NATO accession protocol to parliament for ratification – it has been stuck in committee ever since. Erdogan’s Islamic-conservative ruling alliance has a majority in parliament. It is considered very unlikely that parliamentarians will act against the will of the president.

Turkey wants to buy new F-16 fighter jets and modern equipment from the US. The US government supports the upgrade of existing F-16 fighter jets and the supply of new fighter jets to Turkey. However, opposition comes from US senators.

In view of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022. Finland was welcomed into the alliance as the 31st member in early April. For Sweden to accept, the country still needs approval from Turkey and Hungary. (SDA)

Source: Blick