The US Department of State announced Saturday it has decided to approve a sale of avionics software upgrades for Turkey’s existing F-16 fleet.
The deal, valued at an estimated $259 million, is the first military equipment sale to Turkey in years.
Turkey has also requested new F-16s and nearly 80 upgrade kits, a deal valued at $20 billion. This has raised objections in Congress, in view of Turkey’s acquisition of Russian missile systems and the use of the F-16s to repeatedly violate Greece’s air space and contest the sovereignty of parts of the Aegean Sea. The powerful chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez, has been particularly vocal in his objections.
Reuters reported Monday that the software upgrade deal “moves ahead…after leaders of U.S. congressional committees gave informal approval.”
“Türkiye is a longstanding and valued NATO ally,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “The Biden Administration supports Türkiye’s efforts to bring the avionics of its F-16 fleet up to standard.”
The State Department notes that the proposed sale will not change the military balance of power in the wider region.
Source: keeptalkinggreece
