Turkey, U.S. negotiating Deal On New Generation F-16 Fighter Jets

Turkey and the United States are engaged in the negotiations on the sale of US new generation F-16 fighter jets to Ankara, the Russian news agency Sputnik reported.

Photo Insert: Greece is supposedly trying to put pressure on the US so that Washington does not sell upgraded F-16 combat aircraft to Turkey.

The two countries are negotiating on modernizing existing aircraft and procuring new-generation planes, Turkish newspaper Yeni Akit reported on Saturday.

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin is expected to visit the US in the coming days to discuss the sale of the F-16s with members of the US Congress.

In 2019, the US suspended Turkey's participation in its F-35 program over Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system and later completely removed it from the project. Despite harsh backlash from the US and NATO over the purchase, Turkey has insisted that it will continue to use the S-400s.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later announced that the US suggested that Ankara procure the fourth generation of the F-16 fighter jets instead of the fifth generation F-35s.

US Congress has yet to approve the deal while the US State Department tries to convince lawmakers that it will "serve Washington's interests."

On Sunday, the Turkish newspaper Star reported that Greece is trying to put pressure on the US so that Washington does not sell upgraded F-16 combat aircraft to Turkey.

The normalization of relations between Turkey and the Middle East countries, as well as the country's entry into the Eastern Mediterranean energy market and Greece's exit from it, have created a feeling of "loneliness" in Athens, the newspaper said.

Erdogan's role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis also caused a sense of jealousy in Greece, according to Star, leading to it trying to put more pressure on the US regarding the F-16 deal.

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