Biden wants to sell F-16s to Turkey, but will Congress let him?


Briefly: US President Joe Biden will seek Congressional approval for a major arms sale to Turkey involving 40 F-16 fighter jets. Turkey first requested the upgraded jets in October 2021, but Turkey’s acquisition of a Russian air defence system put the kibosh on negotiations.

Intrigue’s take: While President Biden insists that the jets are not part of a quid-pro-quo, it’s hard not to see the F-16s as pawns in a larger game of diplomacy. For example, the US has openly said Sweden and Finland are ready to join NATO, but both countries require Turkey’s approval before they can join NATO.

Getting the deal through Congress won’t be easy. US Senator Bob Menendez has vowed to block the sale until Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “ceases his threats, improves his human rights record at home […] and begins to act like a trusted ally”.

Also worth noting:

Latest Author Articles
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire wobbles

It’s been three weeks since Israel and Hamas signed a deal that put a tentative end to their ~16 months of devastating conflict.  The pact ramped up the flow of aid into the strip and enabled the return of an initial 16 Israeli hostages held by Hamas and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners in Israel. […]

14 February, 2025
Did the US just ditch Ukraine?

As world leaders, chief diplomats, and defence leaders alike board their private jets to Munich today, just know that their teams are re-writing every briefing note and messaging strategy in the wake of Washington’s mic drop only hours ago.  Here’s what happened.  Speaking first from Brussels at the UK-chaired Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, the […]

13 February, 2025
Canada’s Trudeau resigns as PM, to stay on until new leader chosen

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned as Liberal Party leader and will end his term as PM as soon as an internal party successor has been named, Trudeau told the press at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday morning.  Trudeau’s resignation ends his nine-year term in power, marked by an open-revolt ending with numerous […]

6 January, 2025
Biden blocks Nippon Steel deal

With less than two weeks in US President Joe Biden’s term, the outgoing president blocked Japan’s Nippon Steel’s proposed $14.9B purchase of US Steel, citing national security and supply chain concerns.

3 January, 2025