Solo Turk, the aerobatic team of the Turkish Air Force, fly their F-16 Fighters over Istanbul's new airport on Sept 20, 2018 in Istanbul. (PHOTO / AFP)
ISTANBUL – President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said the process of the United States approving the sale of F-16 fighter jets to NATO member Türkiye was going well and could be completed within a couple of months.
It's not very easy to give a clear forecast but it appears there is a high probability of the process being completed in the next month or two … When this happens the F-16 problem, both the modernization and the purchase of new F-16s, will be resolved.
Ibrahim Kalin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman
Türkiye made a request to the United States in October 2021 to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes to update its air force after the purchase of F-35s fell through.
CNN Turk cited spokesman Ibrahim Kalin as saying in an interview with the broadcaster on Thursday evening that the administration of President Joe Biden was making sincere efforts on the issue.
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"It's not very easy to give a clear forecast but it appears there is a high probability of the process being completed in the next month or two," Kalin was quoted as saying when asked if the United States would sell F-16s to Türkiye.
"When this happens the F-16 problem, both the modernization and the purchase of new F-16s, will be resolved."
In September, Erdogan said he had received "positive" feedback from two US senators he met in New York on their potential support for the sale.
READ MORE: US lawmakers express concern over potential Turkey F-16 sale
Sentiment toward Türkiye in the US Congress has turned sour over the past few years after Ankara acquired Russian-made defense missile systems, triggering US sanctions and Türkiye's removal from the F-35 fighter jet program.