Joe Biden supports the sale and Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes it will be completed without problems.
The condition set by the US House of Representatives, in order to ensure that F-16 Viper aircraft are not used to violate Greek airspace, is not binding. So is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expects to buy 40 such Lockheed Martin-built fighters, as well as modernization kits.
It is recalled that Joe Biden stated that he supports the sale and the Turkish president believes that it will be completed without problems.
Last week, the US House of Representatives passed legislation barring the sale to Ankara unless the administration certifies it is essential to US national security.
The legislation also included a description of the specific measures taken to ensure that the fighters would not be used for “unauthorized overflights” over Greece.
Speaking to reporters on his way back from Iran to Turkey, Erdogan said Biden had not set any conditions for the sale when the two met on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Madrid last month.
Hulusi Akar, meanwhile, said talks on the sale are continuing and that his country is closely monitoring the process, adding that US officials are aware of Turkey’s importance as an ally in the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration.
“While this situation prevails, how can you explain this? A legislator, a group comes out and stirs things up through specific manipulations and misinformation. We expect the US not to get into this game,” argued the defense minister of the neighboring country.
At the same time, Akar added that Greece is trying to influence the agreement reached between the military delegations of Turkey and the US.
