Yetkin Report

  • Türkçe
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Life
  • Writers
  • Archive
  • Contact

Blinken in Istanbul: F-16 sales and Sweden’s NATO accession in spotlight

by YetkinReport / 06 January 2024, Saturday / Published in Politics

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Jan. 6 in Istanbul as a part of his week-long diplomatic tour amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly in the context of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Jan. 6 in Istanbul as a part of his week-long diplomatic tour amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly in the context of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The high-level meeting attended by Fidan, National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) Chief İbrahim Kalın, and U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Jeffry Flake, centered around the conflict in Gaza, the US State Department stated on Jan. 6.

The US State Department spokesperson stated that Blinken and Erdoğan also “discussed European security priorities, including the defence of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, completing Sweden’s accession to NATO, and strengthening trade and investment between the United States and Türkiye.”

Blinken in İstanbul

Following his talks in Turkey, Blinken is set to visit Greece, meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis.

The Secretary of State’s Middle East tour will extend to Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, and Egypt.

This marks Blinken’s third visit to Turkey, with the first one following earthquakes in Türkiye in February and the second postdating the Israel-Hamas conflict in November.

The timing of Blinken’s visit is noteworthy against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East, the explosion in Iran, an assassination in Lebanon, and ongoing attacks by Iran-backed Huti’s in the Red Sea.

F-16 sale and Sweden’s NATO accession on the table

Alongside with the Gaza conflict, the central theme of discussion was Sweden’s NATO membership process and Ankara’s request for Congressional approval for the purchase of 40 F-16s, along with a modernization package.

Turkey’s veto on Sweden’s NATO membership has become a pivotal agenda item in its relations with the U.S., particularly concerning the F-16 purchase.

President Erdoğan, in December, revealed that U.S. President Joe Biden said to him in a phone call: “pass Sweden’s NATO membership through the Parliament, and I will get the F-16s through Congress,” explicitly linking the two subjects as interdependent.

Ankara anticipates the U.S. Congress to greenlight F-16 sales to Turkey, while Washington urges Ankara to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership protocol in parliament.

Turkish diplomatic sources stated that in the meeting with Blinken, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed Ankara’s “desire for the F-16 procurement process to conclude” and underscored that “the Turkish Parliament holds the authority to decide on Sweden’s NATO membership.”

Gaza, Ukraine, Armenia

Erdoğan signed the protocol and forwarded it to parliament after endorsing Sweden’s membership bid in July. The Parliamentary Committee initially deferred deliberations, eventually granting approval, and submitted it to the General Assembly for voting in December.

The Turkish Parliament resumes a new legislative term on January 16, while the United States Congress reconvenes on January 9.

Turkish diplomatic sources disclosed that as discussions touched upon regional issues, including the Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza, Fidan highlighted Israel’s increasing aggression as a regional threat, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid.

Fidan also emphasised Turkey’s efforts to ensure the safe distribution of food products from Russia and Ukraine to global markets, addressing tensions in the Black Sea.

The meeting covered regional topics, such as discussions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the situations in Syria and Iraq.

Yeni yazılardan haberdar olun! Lütfen aboneliğinizi güncelleyin.

İstenmeyen posta göndermiyoruz! Daha fazla bilgi için gizlilik politikamızı okuyun.

Aboneliğinizi onaylamak için gelen veya istenmeyen posta kutunuzu kontrol edin.

Tagged under: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Erdoğan, F-16, Gaza, Hakan Fidan, Israel, İstanbul, NATO, Sweden, US

What you can read next

Russian Envoy talks on Turkish elections, grain deal and S-400s
Erdoğan reveals three Kabul conditions to US
Erdoğan staked all at the NATO Summit, did the world see it?
  • Five Lessons from Israel’s strike on Iran, one is about Türkiye14 June 2025
  • Ankara watched Israel’s Iran attack: 200 jets in 6 waves, local support13 June 2025
  • Proving it can disrupt the game if not invited: unseen power of Türkiye28 May 2025
  • Pro-gov’t paper Yeni Şafak slams Turkish economy: an anti-Şimşek op27 May 2025
  • US Ambassador Barrack: Syria will not be divided, no new Sykes-Picot26 May 2025
  • Özel to Erdoğan: “You are a local dictator. You will leave as you came.”20 May 2025
  • UK-Türkiye: More than just a free trade agreement on the horizon20 May 2025
  • Towards a simultaneous solution to Ukraine, Syria and the Kurdish issues16 May 2025
  • The PKK’s decision to dissolve and questions to the Turkish government13 May 2025
  • Turkish public awareness of the disbanding of the PKK is low: survey13 May 2025
Search the news archive...

Politics

Economy

Life

Writers

Archive

Türkçe

About

Impressum

FAQ

Advertising

Contact

Made with ♥ by tbtcreative.com © 2022 yetkinreport.com All rights reserved.

Yetkin Report     ·      Help     ·      User Agreement     ·      Legal

TOP