Biden administration tells Congress it will sell Turkey F-16s after Erdogan approves Sweden's NATO membership

The Biden administration has informed Congress of its plans to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's endorsement of Sweden's NATO accession on Thursday, marking the culmination of more than a year of discreet and intricate negotiations.

On Friday, the State Department formally transmitted the notification regarding the proposed $23 billion sale to Congress, following the deposit of Turkey's instruments of ratification at the department. Additionally, the State Department conveyed to Congress a formal notification of its intention to sell $8.6 billion worth of F-35s to Greece. Approval from Congress is anticipated for both transactions.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken engaged extensively with Turkish officials and US lawmakers over several months to broker the agreement, aiming to overcome Erdogan's opposition to Sweden's NATO bid and fulfilling Turkey's request for the fighter jets – a top priority for the country.

Hungary's approval of Sweden's NATO bid remains pending for the nation to achieve full membership in the alliance.