Reuters: Turkey awaits passage of US F-16 for NATO approval for Sweden

Turkey, which is awaiting US approval for its F-16 fighter jet purchase request, is reported to be planning to postpone approval of Sweden’s NATO membership until after October.

According to the British news agency Reuters, two sources close to the matter stated that Turkey wants to complete the Swedish approval in the same period as the US approval of the sale of F-16s worth $20 billion.

“Given the lack of trust regarding the F-16 issue and Sweden, Turkey is in no rush to confirm its NATO membership and is looking for signs that the United States is taking simultaneous steps,” an AKP official said.

To approve Sweden’s membership, Turkey wants the country to fight terrorist organizations, extradite criminals to Turkey and lift restrictions on the sale of defense equipment to Turkey. At the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, President Erdoğan added a new demand to Turkey’s demands for Sweden’s membership in NATO and called on European countries to “pave the way” for Turkey’s membership in the EU to give the green light to Turkey’s membership.

However, since Parliament opened on October 1, no bill on approving Sweden’s membership has been sent to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, which will also discuss Sweden’s membership in NATO. (Reuters)