Echoing related statements by Turkish Foreign Minister, U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Jeff Flake instructed reporters on Thursday that the U.S. determination on the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye and the NATO accession bids of Sweden and Finland was “not linked.”
Speaking to a gaggle of reporters, Ambassador Flake stated his nation is “always seeking as many high-level engagements as we can between our two countries.”
On the Türkiye-U.S. Strategic Mechanism assembly held in Washington yesterday between Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Flake stated the 2 events “addressed many important issues.”
“Obviously, Secretary Blinken thanked Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu for Turkey’s work with the (Ukraine) grain initiative, with its strong, consistent support for Ukrainian sovereignty, and for the support that it gives to NATO – (For) 70 years (Türkiye has been an) important and valued member,” stated Flake.
On the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets and F-16 improve kits, the U.S. diplomat reiterated that the method is “now in tiered review before the Congress.” Saying that “there is no linkage” between the F-16 sale and the NATO membership bids of Sweden and Finland, whose approval from Türkiye is pending, Flake added: “The U.S. Congress has invested a great deal in this war, to aid Ukraine in fighting back Russian aggression, both monetarily and leading this coalition. They see this as very important, but there is no linkage.”
“The desire to see Sweden and Finland join NATO is universal in Congress,” he stated.
Flake continued to say that “there is a technical, I think, a certain number of days that the (congressional) committee are given to review this in the tiered review process … but those aren’t firm dates.”
In October, Ankara made a request to Washington for 40 F-16 jets and modernization kits, whereas the State Department final week informally notified Congress of the potential sale.
On Türkiye’s talks with Syria’s Assad regime, Flake stated: “The U.S. stays against participating and normalizing relations with the Assad regime, given what he has achieved to his individuals over time. We nonetheless are against that.”
On safety points associated to northern Syria, the place Turkish officers have warned of a “terrorist hall” being fashioned alongside its border if motion just isn’t taken, Flake stated talks and dialogue between Türkiye and the U.S. proceed. Türkiye has lengthy voiced opposition to U.S. cooperation with the terrorist YPG/PKK, one of many terrorist teams which have made the border a supply of violence. They have additionally warned {that a} Turkish cross-border floor offensive could also be wanted to get rid of the YPG/PKK terrorist risk.
