US Senate removing conditions on F-16 deal 'in line with spirit of alliance,' says Turkish lawmaker

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Saying that Turkish-US diplomatic traffic has picked up since the ending of COVID-19 restrictions, a top Turkish lawmaker on Wednesday said the US dropping conditions on selling F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye is "in line with the spirit of the alliance."

Speaking to diplomatic correspondents in Ankara, Akif Cagatay Kilic, the head of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission, commented on his recent visits to the US, saying that Ankara’s role as mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war has shaped the US' understanding of Türkiye.

Saying that that the officials he met with in the US hailed Türkiye's "strong stance" and "ability to negotiate" with both Russia and Ukraine amid the war, Kilic said the US Senate dropping the conditions on the F-16 fighter jets is a "very positive attitude."

"It is an attitude that is in line with the spirit of the alliance, as we expected. It is a positive attitude. In this respect, we hope that we reach a result that is in line with realities," he added.

On Tuesday, two amendments making potential F-16 sales to Türkiye contingent on a series of conditions were reportedly removed from the Senate version of the annual US defense spending bill.

The conditions included requiring the president to inform Congress of “concrete steps” he has taken to ensure the warplanes “are not used by Turkey for repeated unauthorized territorial overflights of Greece or military operations against United States allies."

After the Senate passes the bill, it will be reconciled with the version already passed by the House of Representatives before it is sent to US President Joe Biden to be signed into law.​​​​​​​

"Two amendments, which we did not approve, were passed in the House of Representatives. But the (amendments) weren’t passed by the Senate, and were removed from the bill," said Kilic, adding that there will be harmonization between the two versions of the bill “likely around mid-November” after the US midterm elections.

Kilic and a delegation headed by Justice and Development (AK) Party Deputy Chair in charge of Foreign Affairs Efkan Ala paid two visits to the US, this May and September, according to the Turkish lawmaker.

Commenting on the visits, Kilic said they had nearly 40 meetings that included officials from the US Senate, House of Representatives, Biden administration, and the media.

"My personal observation since our visits from last year as well as the latest two visits is that the atmosphere (against Türkiye) was not as negative as the media painted it to be," Kilic said.

Noting that Türkiye's positive role amid Russia's war on Ukraine as well as the grain deal and prisoner exchange has been important, Kilic said that for the first time US officials were well aware of the situations in the region around Türkiye.

"We have seen their appreciation for Türkiye's solid stance, its ability to negotiate with both sides of the war, and its ability to lend confidence," Kilic stated.

- 'Finland’s NATO bid is in a better place'

On the deal on the sale of F-16s and modernization kits, Kilic said Türkiye already having participated in making F-16 fighter jets and an earlier generation of the planes already being in the Turkish Armed Forces inventory had an impact on the US.

"They (US officials) are aware that Türkiye's first resort on defense industry needs is NATO. But if our NATO allies do not act in the spirit of alliance, they now see Türkiye's capacity to develop its own defense industry, and also know that Türkiye is able to act (to meet its needs) in case of an emergency," he said.

He further stressed the importance of Türkiye's demands and needs for the NATO alliance and its deterrence.

Ankara requested F-16s and modernization kits last October. The $6 billion deal would include the sale of 40 jets and modernization kits for 79 warplanes that the Turkish Air Force has in its inventory.

Kilic acknowledged that there are other matters outstanding in Turkish-US relations but said it is more "beneficial" to move from positive topics to issues that are more complicated.

On Sweden and Finland's NATO accession bids, Kilic said the two Nordic countries are not being lumped together by Ankara.

"Let's say Finland is in a better place at this point and Sweden is not," he said.

On Sweden’s recent elections, the Turkish lawmaker expressed hopes for the new Swedish government to be less "lenient" towards terror groups and less anti-Turkish.

He also said Sweden has been taking some positive steps but that it is not at the level Ankara wants.

"The ball is no longer in our court. We have openly stated what we want and what we expect them to do," he said.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO in June, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine.

But Türkiye voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the two countries for tolerating and even supporting terror groups.

A memorandum of understanding signed by Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden at NATO's June summit in Madrid, Spain stipulates that the two countries will not provide support to the PKK/YPG, or the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) – the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye that left 251 killed and 2,734 wounded.

Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the terror group’s Syrian offshoot.

-Visa woes issue

On the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) approving Türkiye's proposal for the Schengen visa process to be more transparent, fair, and inclusive, Kilic called this a highly important development.

Although the report is nonbinding, Kilic said it is an important reference point for Türkiye when it is laying out its arguments at the EU.

"It is important for us that the deficiencies are identified and addressed in the report," he added.

Turkish officials have complained that its citizens are being forced to wait for months for visas from EU countries, and then are given visas of extremely short duration or are all-too-often denied visas with no explanation.