Turkey hyperlinks Sweden’s NATO bid to U.S. approving F-16 jet gross sales and Canada lifting arms embargo

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership by Turkey’s parliament hinges on the U.S. Congress’ approval of Turkey’s request to buy F-16 fighter jets, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated, calling on the 2 legislatures to behave “simultaneously.”

In feedback reported on Tuesday, Erdogan additionally stated Canada and different NATO allies should elevate arms embargoes imposed on Turkey.

“Positive developments from the United States regarding the F-16 issue and Canada keeping its promises will accelerate our parliament’s positive view on (Sweden’s membership,)” Erdogan stated. “All of these are linked.”

He made the feedback late Monday whereas getting back from a go to to Hungary. Hungary and Turkey are the one two NATO members to not have formally accredited Sweden’s bid to hitch the trans-Atlantic army alliance.

Erdogan’s feedback have been reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency.

He informed reporters that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has raised the problem of a simultaneous approval by Turkey’s parliament and Congress throughout discussions this week with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“If we operate this simultaneously, we will have the opportunity to pass this through the parliament much more easily,” Erdogan quoted Fidan as telling Blinken.

Erdogan submitted a protocol on Sweden’s admission to parliament in October, however the ratification course of has stalled.

The Turkish chief has since linked the matter to Congress’ approving Turkey’s request to buy 40 F-16 fighter jets and kits to modernize its current fleet.

Turkey has delayed ratification of Sweden’s membership for greater than a 12 months. Ankara accuses the nation of not taking Turkey’s safety issues severely sufficient, together with its battle towards Kurdish militants and different teams that Ankara considers to be safety threats.

The delays have pissed off different NATO allies, who have been swift to simply accept Sweden and Finland into the alliance after the neighboring nations dropped their longstanding army neutrality following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Hungary has stated the nation wouldn’t be the final to approve accession, although the ruling Fidesz social gathering, which holds a constitutional majority in Hungary’s parliament, has refused to carry a vote on the matter.