Wednesday 11 May 2022 01:41 PM Biden asks Congress to approve new weapons deal selling upgrades to F-16 ... trends now
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President Joe Biden has formally requested that Congress approves the sale of upgraded weapons systems, radar and other technical equipment to dramatically improve the capabilities of Turkey's fleet of F-16 fighter jets.
The potential deal represents a major development in relations between Ankara and Washington, and comes as a result of Turkey showing considerable support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has allowed two rounds of Ukrainian-Russian peace talks to be held on Turkish soil while also supplying weapons to Ukraine - including the Bayraktar TB2 drone which has become a highly-effective tool for the nation's armed forces.
US officials familiar with the request said the Biden administration may use the deal to gauge the level of support in Congress for a separate proposal to sell 40 new F-16s to Turkey, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Relations between Ankara and Washington have been tense ever since Turkey relied on Russia to provide its air-defence systems in 2017.
Members in both houses of Congress are also said to be wary of
