US will proceed to work carefully with Türkiye’s leaders to bolster ties and guarantee “our mutual defence needs are considered,” says Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder.
(Reuters Archive)
Türkiye has an necessary partnership with the US on the worldwide stage and Washington views Ankara as “an important ally,” Pentagon has stated.
Speaking on the Pentagon’s doable message to Congress on the conclusion of a deal to promote F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye, Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder stated it’s a congressional resolution to make, including “the United States and Türkiye share an alliance and they’re an important partner, not only in the region but around the world.”
Asked how necessary this potential sale is for navy relations, which have been strained over time as a consequence of a number of points, he harassed that the US views Türkiye as “an important ally.”
“Certainly when it comes to the bilateral relationship between the United States and Türkiye, we’ve always said that Türkiye is an important partner and important ally.”
“And so we’ll continue to work closely with Türkiye’s leaders on how we can bolster that relationship and ensure that our mutual defence needs are considered,” he added.
Jets and modernisation kits
The US State Department despatched Congress its resolution on the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye for a tiered evaluate final week.
The notification on the sale has been conveyed to the chairs and rating members of related committees within the House of Representatives and Senate, in line with sources who spoke on situation of anonymity.
The State Department is predicted to formally announce its notification this week. The congressional notification of the sale will begin a 15-day window for lawmakers to boost objections.
Ankara requested F-16s and modernisation kits in October 2021.
The multi-billion greenback deal would come with the sale of 40 jets, in addition to modernisation kits for 79 warplanes that the Turkish Air Force already has in its stock.
Türkiye has been a member of NATO for over 70 years and boasts the alliance’s second-largest military.
Source: AA
