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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blocks Finland and Sweden from joining NATO
Photo:
ADEM ALTAN / AFP
A cross-party group of senators in the United States has objected to an arms deal with Turkey as long as the country blocks Sweden and Finland from joining NATO.
Twenty-seven senators from both Democrats and Republicans have issued a letter calling on President Joe Biden to wait until Turkey has ratified the two countries' accession bids before delivering F-16 fighter jets.
Before that, Congress could not examine the sale of the fighter jets.
In May 2022, the two Nordic countries had applied to become part of the western military alliance in view of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
However, NATO member Turkey is blocking this.
This is justified in particular by the fact that Sweden is not sufficiently committed against "terrorists".
The situation had recently worsened after a well-known right-wing extremist burned a Koran in Stockholm.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan then announced that Sweden would finally withdraw support for joining NATO.
This would also have consequences for Finland.
Meanwhile, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has hinted several times that Finland could be admitted.
All 30 current members must ratify the motions – including Turkey.
US senators -- including Democrats Chris Coons, Amy Klobuchar and Dick Durbin, and Republicans Rick Scott and Lisa Murkowski -- warned that Sweden and Finland are doing their best to meet the conditions demanded by Turkey.
Despite obvious progress, however, Turkey is blocking.
Biden supported the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey at the NATO summit in Madrid last summer.
At the time, he stressed that this was not in return for Ankara giving up its blockade on Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
The US Congress is involved in the approval process for the sale.
muk/dpa
