Sen. Bob Menendez, DN.J., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Friday he plans to continue blocking the Biden administration’s plan to sell military aircraft to Turkey.
“As I have repeatedly made clear, I strongly oppose the Biden administration’s proposed sale of new F-16 aircraft to Turkey,” Menendez said in a statement.
“President Erdogan continues to subvert international law, disregard human rights and democratic norms, and exhibit alarming and destabilizing behavior in Turkey and towards neighboring NATO allies.”
The Democrat added that he will remain opposed to the deal – which is still under review – “until Erdogan stops his threats, improves his human rights record at home – including by releasing journalists and the political opposition – and begins to speak out like… to behave as a trusted ally”.
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Senator Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, has long opposed the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. (Photographer: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The $20 billion deal would require Congressional approval, which would also be conditional on Turkey approving Sweden and Finland’s bids to join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the State Department notified Congress Thursday of its intention to finalize the deal.
A spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed Washington’s demands for the fighter jet deal were “endless”. (Photo by Mustafa Kamaci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Turkey submitted the application for the fighter jets just over a year ago.
Menendez said he endorsed a proposed sale of 40 F-55s to Greece.
On Saturday, an Erdogan spokesman called the US demands related to the possible sale “endless”.
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“If they keep pushing Turkey in other directions with F-16 (and) F-35 sanctions and then Turkey responds and blames Turkey again, then that’s not fair game,” he said. “It looks like her list of demands is endless. There is always something.”
Portal contributed to this report.