A group of US lawmakers in Congress, led by Rep. Frank Pallone, sent a letter to the US President expressing their strong disagreement with the public support expressed by Joe Biden for Turkey’s request for the purchase and upgrade of F-16 fighter jets.
The lawmakers note that such a development would reward Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for not honoring his country’s commitments to both the United States and NATO.
Furthermore, the purchase of advanced fighter jets will more likely lead to further death and destruction in the region. The lawmakers also remind Biden that Turkey continues to utilize S-400 missile defense systems, which potentially exposes important tactical information
about US weaponry and military operations to Russia.
They also point out that Turkey has repeatedly used its military power to violate sovereignty of Greece and Cyprus. The lawmakers said that they “will take every action to prevent it.” In November, Turkey requested 40 Block 70 F-16 fighter jets and 80 modernization kits for their current fleet from the US.
