US senator seeks to block F-16 jets sale to Türkiye

US Republican Senator from Kentucky Rand Paul opposed the delivery of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets and related equipment to Türkiye.

In response to the Biden administration's letter, Rand Paul submitted a bill to the U.S. Congress to ban the sale of combat aircraft. The legislation must be approved by a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to be considered valid,  Caliber.Az reports, citing Defence Turk.

Although the pending F-16 Block 70 bill has not been approved by both committees and there are no objections from other senators, approval of a possible sale is expected by February 10, 2024. On January 26, 2024, the Pentagon sent a notification to Türkiye for more than $23 billion worth of F-16 Block 70 and other equipment.

On February 1, 2024, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense Resources made the following statements on the subject at its weekly press briefing:

"In accordance with Air Force Command requirements, the U.S. Congressional approval process for our request, which includes the procurement of 40 new F-16 Block-70s, upgrades to the existing 79 F-16s and their ammunition, as well as materials and equipment, began Jan. 26.

When the offer and acceptance letters reach us, the calendar will begin and thus the cost of the projects can be clearly expressed. The requested ammunition requests were the result of a detailed study based on operational needs, stock status and technical requirements.

Contrary to what is claimed on some Greek news sites, the issue of F-16 procurement and modernization is not subject to any conditions," the statement said.