Türkiye anticipates fulfillment of U.S. commitments regarding F-16 fighter jets sale

Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Türkiye expects Washington to fulfill its commitments on the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during his conversation over the phone with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

According to diplomatic sources, Fidan said on Wednesday that Ankara expects the US administration and Congress to act in accordance with the “spirit of alliance and fulfil the commitments made.”

Fidan also told Blinken that the process regarding Sweden’s NATO membership continues under the jurisdiction of the Turkish parliament.

The Turkish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee approved legislation, greenlighting Sweden’s accession to NATO on Tuesday and leaving only one vote in the general assembly to grant or deny Türkiye’s full approval.

It came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed Sweden’s NATO accession protocol and submitted it to parliament in October.

Fidan emphasised the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the commencement of peace talks.

Israel launched a massive military campaign on besieged enclave following a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, killing at least 21,110 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 55,243 others, according to local health authorities.

The onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million people displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicines.

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Cyprus issue also came up during the phone call.