By Jonathan Spicer, Huseyin Hayatsever and Tuvan Gumrukcu
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey is keen to carry off ratifying Sweden’s bid to hitch NATO this month because it awaits indicators of U.S. help for its personal request to purchase F-16 jets, sources mentioned, probably disappointing bloc allies hoping to finish 17 months of delay.
President Tayyip Erdogan elated a NATO summit in July by promising to ship the bid to Turkey’s parliament for ratification when it reopened in October, showing to green-light Sweden after having raised objections over its alleged harbouring of terrorists.
Nonetheless since parliament opened on Oct. 1, its overseas affairs fee, which might debate the NATO bid, has obtained nearly 60 worldwide agreements to evaluate – excluding Sweden’s, official knowledge reveals.
Two individuals aware of the state of affairs mentioned Ankara wished to maneuver in tandem with Washington, the place the State Division is predicted at a while to hunt congressional approval for a $20-billion sale of F-16 fighters to Turkey and dozens of modernisation kits.
“Given the shortage of belief over the difficulty of F-16s and Sweden, Turkey will not be dashing to ratify the NATO bid and searching for an indication that the USA is taking steps on the similar time,” mentioned an official from Erdogan’s ruling AK Social gathering.
A second individual aware of U.S.-Turkish talks mentioned a tough proposal – by which both sides would take steps towards ratifying the NATO bid on the one aspect, and the F-16s buy on the opposite – had been delayed.
Erdogan’s workplace didn’t instantly touch upon a timeframe for Sweden’s ratification or on any U.S. talks.
The U.S. State Division regarded ahead to Sweden becoming a member of NATO “within the close to future”, a spokesperson mentioned, and that President Joe Biden backed the F-16s sale within the curiosity of the alliance, the USA and its relationship with Turkey.”
“(W)e ought to do each of these items,” the spokesperson mentioned.
IN NO RUSH
Turkey, NATO’s second-biggest army, continues to be anticipated to in the end endorse Sweden’s bid and will quickly transfer on it.
However Turkish officers and overseas diplomats say Erdogan is in no rush, particularly after a bomb assault in Ankara on the day parliament opened and, days later, the downing of an unmanned Turkish drone by the USA in northern Syria.
Addressing the drone incident, which occurred close to U.S. troops on Oct. 5, Erdogan mentioned final week: “Is not Turkey a NATO ally of the U.S.? …How can we clarify this? Solely when it fits them, they name themselves companions”.
Sweden and Finland utilized to hitch NATO final yr after Russia invaded Ukraine. Finnish membership was sealed in April, marking an historic enlargement of the Western defence bloc, however Sweden’s bid stays held up by Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey says Sweden should take extra steps at house to clamp down on the militant Kurdistan Staff Social gathering (PKK), which the European Union and United States additionally deem a terrorist group.
After assembly NATO counterparts in Brussels on Friday, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler informed reporters Sweden was anticipated to implement new counter-terrorism measures, including parliament “would have the ultimate say” on ratification.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson mentioned on Friday he was satisfied the method to hitch NATO shall be resolved “fairly quickly,” given Stockholm has fulfilled all commitments in a deal signed final yr with Ankara and Helsinki.
LEVERAGE
However Erdogan seems keen to leverage the state of affairs for different good points. Final month, he overtly floated exchanging Sweden’s ratification for the U.S. go-ahead to improve Turkey’s F-16 fleet.
With Washington eager to increase NATO, senior U.S. and Turkish officers had sketched out a plan by which Erdogan would ship the NATO proposal to parliament and the State Division would ask leaders of the U.S. Senate and Home overseas affairs committees to evaluate the F-16 deal, the second supply mentioned.
However hopes for a swift approval took a blow on Oct. 1 when the PKK claimed duty for the bomb assault close to Ankara authorities buildings.
In response, Turkey redoubled strikes on militant targets in Iraq and Syria, the place the USA is allied with some Kurdish fighters, resulting in the drone incident.
After that, the second supply mentioned, discussions quieted down on the U.S.-Turkish proposal to maneuver roughly in parallel.
Whereas the White Home endorses the sale of the Lockheed Martin Corp F-16s, there are objections in Congress over Turkey delaying NATO enlargement and its human rights document.
One other potential pressure in U.S.-Turkish ties emerged final week in Israel’s conflict towards Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Erdogan – lengthy supportive of Palestinians and a two-state answer – mentioned {that a} U.S. plane service that arrived within the japanese Mediterranean was meant to commit “critical massacres” within the Gaza Strip.
(Extra reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Riyadh and Simon Johnson in Stockholm; Enhancing by Bernadette Baum)
