Türkiye and the United States have an essential partnership on the global stage, a Pentagon official stated on Tuesday ahead of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s arrival in the U.S. for a three-day tour to sort out various disagreements.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Washington, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder responded to a question on the Pentagon's possible message to Congress on the conclusion of a deal to sell F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye. Ryder said it was a Congressional decision to make and that he "cannot tell them what to do."
"But, as I’ve said, the United States and Türkiye share an alliance and they're an important partner, not only in the region but in the world," Ryder expressed.
When asked by Anadolu Agency (AA) as to how important this potential sale is for military relations, which have been strained over the years due to several issues, he stressed that the U.S. views Türkiye as "an important ally."
"Certainly when it comes to the bilateral relationship between the United States and Türkiye, we've always said that Türkiye is an important partner and important ally. And so we'll continue to work closely with Türkiye's leaders on how we can bolster that relationship and insure that our mutual defense needs are considered," he added.
The U.S. State Department sent Congress its decision on the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye for a tiered review last week, sources told AA on Friday.
The notification on the sale has been conveyed to the chairs and ranking members of relevant committees in the House of Representatives and Senate, said sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The State Department is expected to officially announce its notification this week. The congressional notification of the sale will start a 15-day window for lawmakers to raise objections.
On whether the Congress’ approving the sale of F-16 jets to Türkiye had any relation to Washington’s plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to the country’s Mediterranean rival Greece, Ryder said the two issues were "independent" from one another, and that the U.S. merely maintained relations with both.
As relations between the NATO allies remain lukewarm, particularly due to what Ankara sees as Washington's reluctance to cooperate against terrorism, top Turkish diplomat Çavuşoğlu will be embarking on an expansive trip in the country during which he will hold talks with his American counterpart Anthony Blinken and meet Turkish expats.
Çavuşoğlu will attend a strategic mechanism meeting between Turkish and U.S. officials, as well as a bilateral meeting with U.N. General Assembly President Csaba Korosi in New York; he is set to come together with think-tank members, the Turkish-American community in Washington D.C. and Houston, and inaugurate the new Consulate-General during his visit.
Positioned at the crossroads between East and West, Türkiye remains strategically important for Washington, especially in a region where it has few allies and much opposition. Ankara's key role in diplomatic issues, like brokering a crucial agreement between U.S. ally Ukraine and arch-foe Russia last year that allowed millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to be transported to world markets to avert a global food crisis, heightens Türkiye's importance for the U.S.
Yet, the Biden administration increasingly frustrates Türkiye with its opposition to Ankara's purchase of Russian-made S-400 missiles and the U.S.' lingering support for the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian wing, the YPG, based in northern Syria, which enjoys Washington's support under the pretext of fighting against other terrorist groups.
The acquisition of the S-400 air defense system in 2017 led to sanctions and Türkiye being removed from the development program for the next-generation F-35 fighter plane. After losing out on the F-35, Ankara is currently trying to restock its F-16 fleet. But the deal faces opposition in Congress.
Çavuşoğlu sounded confident this week that the deal for the purchase of 40 F-16 jets as well as technology for the update of its existing fleet would overcome congressional hurdles. "We have reached an agreement with the (Biden) administration, and it is important that the administration has emphasized that the agreement is not only important for Türkiye but for NATO as well. If the administration stands firm, then there will be no problem," Çavuşoğlu told reporters.