ISTANBUL: Turkey and the US have signed a contract for the sale of F-16 warplanes after Washington greenlighted the $23 billion deal following months of negotiations, Turkish defence ministry sources stated Thursday.
“The contract was signed and delegations from each side are negotiating the main points,” the ministry sources stated.
Below the deal, Turkey will get 40 new F-16s and upgrades to 79 of the jets in its current fleet.
The State Division final week hailed “a serious step ahead” in Turkey’s buy of recent F-16 fighter jets calling them “essentially the most superior F-16 ever made accessible solely to closest Allies and companions”.
“Simply the most recent instance of US enduring dedication to safety partnership with Turkey,” it stated in a social media publish.
As required by regulation, the State Division notified Congress of the settlement in January, in addition to a separate $8.6 billion sale of 40 F-35s to Greece.
The USA didn’t inexperienced gentle the transaction till Turkey’s devices of ratification of Sweden’s membership had arrived in Washington.
Turkey’s parliament ratified Sweden’s NATO membership in January after greater than a yr of delays that upset Western to unite within the face of Russia’s battle on Ukraine.
Erdogan is because of be a part of NATO leaders’ summit in Washington subsequent month.
He had been set for talks with US counterpart Joe Biden final month however what would have been their first White Home assembly was postponed over scheduling issues.
