Menendez states that he will not approve F-16 sale to Turkey
Democratic Senator and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Robert Menendez clarified that he will not approve the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey and that the final text of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was not a victory for Turkey.
“Contrary to some claims, the NDAA s not a win for Turkey. This is just one of many tools we have at our disposal in the Senate to deal with arms sales,” stated Menendez, adding that “I’ll say it again. As SFRC Chairman, I will NOT approve F-16s for Turkey until Erdogan halts his abuses across the region.”
Additionally, the explanatory text accompanying the $858 billion defense policy bill mentions that “North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies should not conduct unauthorized territorial overflights of another NATO ally’s airspace.”
The statement was seen as a warning to Turkey over its systematic airspace violations and overflights in the Aegean.
