Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Tuesday that the sale of US F-16 fighters to Turkey could not be subject to additional conditions. His statement comes in response to the US House of Representatives law that imposes additional requirements on the export of these aircraft to Turkey.

“Turkey is a strong country. There should be no conditions, in principle + we will give you this if you do not +. We are continuing negotiations at the level of military delegations (…) and we hope that common sense will prevail “- said Akar, citing Anadolu Agency.

The government in Ankara wants to buy 40 F-16 fighter jets in the latest version and upgrade 80 already owned of the older type. US President Joe Biden confirmed at the NATO summit in late June that he supports the deal, but the US Congress has yet to approve it.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved the defense budget for 2023. The law includes provisions that make the sale of Turkish fighters conditional on the US government’s confirmation that the deal is essential to the security of the United States. The document also commits the Biden administration to providing guarantees that the weapons will not be used to violate Greek airspace. The amendment was adopted at the request of Democratic Congressman Frank Balloon.

US officials spoke of Turkey as an important ally, and NATO officials spoke of Turkey’s successes in combating terrorism and immigration. How can this be explained now? A deputy and a group appear and begin to mingle using manipulation and disinformation. “The United States will not fall into this trap,” Akar commented.

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Turkey and Greece, both members of NATO, have been arguing for decades over many issues, including maritime borders, underwater natural resources or a divided Cyprus. The two countries accuse each other of violating international law, including violating airspace. After Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mykotakis visited the United States in May to press for a ban on the sale of Turkish fighters, Erdogan announced that he would no longer hold high-level talks with Athens.

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