US Army soldiers look at an F-16 fighter jet during an official ceremony to receive four such aircraft from the United States, at a military base in Balad, Iraq, July 20, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILEThe Biden administration has told Congress it is preparing the potential $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, sparking an immediate objection from a senior US lawmaker who has long opposed the deal. NATO member Turkiye requested in October 2021 to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernisation kits for its existing warplanes. While the sale is still in the informal review process, Congress is also unlikely to approve the sale as long as Turkiye refuses to proceed with the ratification of Sweden and Finland's NATO membership. "If they keep pushing Turkiye in other directions with F-16 (and) F-35 sanctions, and then Turkiye reacts, they blame Turkiye again, then that's not a fair game," Kalin said.
