In a significant development, Senator Ben Cardin, who assumed the role of chair of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 28, has expressed his intention to review Turkey’s $20 billion Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet deal. This statement comes as several crucial factors, beyond Sweden’s NATO membership bid, are poised to impact the decision to lift the hold that his predecessor had placed on the arms sale.
A Multifaceted Evaluation
Speaking to reporters shortly after taking over the leadership of this influential committee, Senator Cardin, a Democrat, emphasized the complexity of the matter, stating, “I need to talk to the administration on a lot of these issues, because it’s beyond just one issue involved, and I need to understand that.”
While discussing Sweden’s NATO accession, which has been a contentious point in the arms deal, Senator Cardin noted that Turkish officials had mentioned its expected completion in the first part of the next month. However, he underlined that NATO accession is just one facet of the larger discussions at hand.
Previous Hurdles and Concerns
Senator Bob Menendez, the committee’s previous chairman, had maintained a hold on the arms sale for an extended period. His objections ranged from Turkey’s opposition to Sweden’s NATO entry to concerns about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s human rights record and airspace overflights of neighboring Greece. Senator Menendez stepped down from his role as committee leader due to felony bribery charges.
Leaders of the U.S. Senate and House foreign affairs panels regularly scrutinize major foreign arms sales, often raising questions and concerns related to human rights and diplomatic matters, which can potentially delay or prevent such deals.
Turkey had delayed the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership, citing concerns about Sweden’s actions against individuals Turkey regards as terrorists, primarily Kurdish members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Ongoing Developments
Despite Turkey’s prior objections, President Erdoğan announced plans to forward the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership to parliament when it reopens in October. This move has raised concerns among some members of Congress, who believed that Erdoğan could have convened the parliament earlier to address Sweden’s NATO membership.
Following the unsealing of Senator Menendez’s indictment, President Erdoğan saw an opportunity to leverage the situation for the purchase of the fighter jets, stating that Menendez’s absence could be advantageous for the deal.
Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While Finland’s NATO membership was approved in April, Sweden’s bid is still pending, primarily due to opposition from Turkey and Hungary.
Notably, Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate panel, has placed a hold on arms sales to Hungary in connection with this matter.
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