TSAMTO, January 20. The United States may approve Turkey's request for the purchase of F-16 fighter jets in order to strengthen a NATO ally on the Black Sea.
This, as RIA Novosti reports, was reported by CNN-Turk with reference to its sources in the United States.
Earlier, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that his American counterpart Joe Biden promised him to make every effort to convince the US Congress to approve the sale of the F-16.
"The parties held meetings both in Ankara and in Washington. There is information that the United States may approve Turkey's request for the purchase of 40 F-16 Block 70 fighters and 80 Block 70 upgrade kits. The reason for the approval is the equipment of its NATO allies in connection with the increasing tensions on the Black Sea," the TV channel reported.
As RIA Novosti reminds, the United States previously sent an official notification to Turkey about its exclusion from the F-35 program due to Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems. The Turkish president stated that the United States offered Ankara to purchase F-16 fighters after its exclusion from the F-35 supply program.
