Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.’s (NJ-06) amendment to prohibit next-generation F-16 fighter jets and F-16 modernization kits to Turkey unless the sale goes through a rigorous certification process with Congress passed the House today. Pallone offered the amendment as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2023. Reports of the United States’ intent to move forward with the sale were confirmed during the NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, last June. Turkey first initiated the request for 40 Block 70 F-16 fighter jets and 80 modernization kits for their current fleet in the fall of last year. Video of Pallone’s remarks are available here.
“For far too long, the United States has allowed Erdoğan to dictate his terms and hide behind Turkey’s status as a NATO ally. He has done the bare minimum to bolster NATO’s strategic posture since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered the largest crisis the alliance has faced in decades,” said Pallone. “The sale of American advanced fighter jets to Turkey will not incentivize Erdogan to suddenly transform into a good ally. More likely, these weapons will lead to further death and destruction in the region. He’s avoided facing real-life consequences greater than a slap on the wrist for his flagrant violations of international law at home and abroad, and it’s time we finally say enough is enough.”
“The passage of this bipartisan amendment sends a strong message to Turkey and to the international community that the United States will not allow the Erdogan government to escape accountability for violating U.S. law and the standards of the NATO alliance,” said Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01). "I have consistently opposed the sale of F-16s to Turkey and advanced weapons and equipment to upgrade its existing F-16 fleet. It remains deeply troubling that President Biden supports moving forward with this sale despite Turkey's increasingly belligerent rhetoric and aggression towards Greece, a reliable democratic NATO ally. Actions speak louder than words. I will continue working across the aisle to take all necessary actions to prevent F-16s or any other American-made weapons from falling into Erdogan's hands. I'm pleased that this amendment garnered strong, bipartisan support, and I want to thank my co-leads and fellow members of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues for moving this forward."
Original source can be found here.
