Turkey’s stance towards Finland, Sweden weakens NATO

In order for Congress to green-light Turkey’s request to buy or upgrade F-16s, many of the irritants in the US-Turkish relationship will likely need to be resolved first says James Risch, the Republican ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, clarifying that the administration has not notified Congress yet about a possible sale.

The official notification of Congress by the US administration is part of the process for the completion of any arms sale to a foreign country. The fact that there has been no notification yet means that Turkey-US technical discussions over the F-16 issue are still ongoing.

Referring to the Turkish attacks in northern Syria, Risch, one of the most influential Republican senators in Congress, warns that if there is a loss of American life Turkey’s relationship with the US Congress would be seriously jeopardized. He adds that in the event of a ground incursion, the reaction of the US legislature will be stronger than after the “ill-advised” Turkish escalation of 2019.

The senator from Idaho expresses his deep disappointment because Turkey and Hungary have not yet ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, a long wait which, among other things, as he explains, weakens the Alliance’s unity in times of war.

As Russia’s war enters its 10th month I would like to ask you how strong the US commitment to providing Ukraine with additional assistance remains, how the Republican Party in Congress feels about it and if you sense that the American people are reaching a tipping point where they will start expressing some kind of frustration over it.

A majority of Congress continues to support funding to aid Ukraine. Though there are a few outliers, this is one of the most bipartisan issues I’ve seen since I’ve been in Congress. Russia has always been a strategic challenger to the US and the entire transatlantic community. Many in the US and Europe wanted to deny this, but the invasion has been a reminder of this fact. Authoritarian leaders seeking to destroy sovereign nations, commit genocide, threaten our allies, and hold food supplies and international supply chains hostage should be confronted, whether that’s Russia or China.

‘Many of the irritants in the US-Turkish relationship will likely need to be resolved to ensure a sale like [the F-16s] could move forward’

The more this war drags, the greater the necessity for a strong and unified Alliance becomes. But Sweden’s and Finland’s applications are still pending since they have not been ratified by all NATO members. How do you view Turkey’s resistance, and how do you think this deadlock can be broken?

I am very disappointed that neither Hungary nor Turkey have yet ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland into NATO. Neither Hungary nor Turkey has presented any fundamental concerns with these two nations as members, yet both continue to take no action to make Sweden and Finland members. I think this is a big mistake. This long wait does not allow NATO to begin integrating the formidable resources that Finland and Sweden bring into the Alliance, and, at a moment of war in Europe, weakens NATO’s unity.

Are you concerned about the new escalation in northern Syria and that some Turkish airstrikes directly threatened US personnel? What would a ground invasion mean for this complicated and fragile region and how would you respond to the criticism that the US does not raise a strong voice against Turkey?

A Turkish ground incursion will only serve to further destabilize Syria, derail the US campaign against the Islamic State, and endanger the release of thousands of hardened terrorists in prisons in northern Syria. An escalation that results in the loss of American life would seriously jeopardize Turkey’s relationship with the US Congress. Turkey’s ill-advised 2019 escalation drew universal condemnation and a Turkey sanctions bill from Congress. Another incursion will draw more of the same and increasingly isolate Turkey from the United States.

Given the fact that Turkey often uses American-made F-16s for hostile operations or actions against its neighbors, including Greece, what do you think about the request to buy more jets from the US and upgrade its existing fleet? The technical discussions between US and Turkey are ongoing, but I understand that Congress has not yet been notified by the administration. What do you think Congress’ response should be?

I am aware of Turkey’s interest in both the acquisition of new F-16s and in upgrades to its existing fleet, but the State Department has not notified Congress of a possible sale. I cannot prejudge a decision on F-16s until I see exactly what the Biden administration has negotiated with Turkey. However, many of the irritants in the US-Turkish relationship will likely need to be resolved to ensure a sale like this could move forward with the necessary support of Congress.

How would you describe Greece’s role in the Eastern Mediterranean and its assets like Alexandroupoli and Souda, both for US interests and regional stability? And how can the US ensure that the safety of its critical NATO allies can be guaranteed under any circumstances?

In recent years, Greece has certainly taken a more active leadership role in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans, and the results have been positive. The Greek decision to solve its long-standing issues with North Macedonia brought a new member into NATO, and the new Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector is helping to bolster Europe’s energy security. The US-Greece relationship has also never been stronger, and I have been very glad to see the US and Greek militaries work even closer together, especially at Souda Bay. The port at Alexandroupoli has been a valuable tool to support NATO’s eastern flank and can continue to help grow Greece’s importance in the region. In the Eastern Mediterranean, I am also glad to see Greece’s growing cooperation with Israel.