Celeste Wallander, US Undersecretary of Defense, responsible for International Security Affairs, made statements to journalists about the new facts with Turkey
Hours after Turkey gave the OK for Finland and Sweden to join NATO, news from across the Atlantic suggests that Recep Tayyip Erdogan may have struck a chord with the US.
Previously, a senior White House official had testified that the Americans “did not offer anything in return” to Ankara.
Most likely, however, Erdogan managed to find a deal with the US over the F-16s, an issue that has been a thorn in the side of the two countries for many years.
Celeste Wallander, US Under Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, told reporters: “The US Department of Defense fully supports Turkey’s modernization plans for its F-16 fleet.
These plans are in the works, and must be executed through the procurement process, but the US supports the modernization of the Turkish fighter fleet, because it contributes to the security of NATO. Strong Turkish defense capabilities contribute to a strong NATO defense.”
A US official, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Madrid, emphasized: “Technical discussions are underway regarding Ankara’s request to upgrade the F-16s, but the US Congress has the final say on these types of arms sales’.
All this while there are shock increases in the stream, inflation is experiencing a 29-year record high and the Turkish lira continues to weaken steadily.
