U.S. President Joe Biden wants to move ahead with the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, his National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday.
Biden for months made it clear that he supported the sale of the aircraft to Turkey, Sullivan told journalists in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius where leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) leaders are to meet.
It is in the interest of both the U.S. and NATO for Turkey to receive the fighter jets, he said.
Sullivan said moving ahead with the sale of F-16 jets was not connected to Turkey ending its opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership, although Biden has previously linked the two issues.
The U.S. government has to formally inform Congress about the arms sale.
Several lawmakers previously said they would use their right to veto the sale if Turkey continued to block Sweden’s accession to NATO.
After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan committed to ending his opposition to Sweden’s accession, the arms deal could soon go ahead.
dpa/NAN
