Representatives in Congress called on Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to stop or delay the sending or return of weapons to Turkey if Ankara is “engaged” in measures that threaten US national security interests.
In a letter to Secretary of State Blinken, MPs called for the need for any final agreement with Turkey on the sale and modernization of F-16 fighters, including mechanisms to stop or delay the shipment or retransfer of these weapons, in relation to negotiations with Ankara on Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (NATO).
The deputies urged Minister Blinken to “resolutely” have mechanisms to stop hostilities with Turkey if it threatens NATO unity, and continue to use Sweden’s entry into the alliance as a “hostage” to obtain F-16 aircraft.
State Department officials recently met with Congressional leaders tasked with approving the arms sale to ensure that Congress is not involved in an agreement with Turkey linking the F-16 sale to Ankara’s approval of Sweden’s entry into NATO, media reports say.
Source: RT
