Turkey currently maintains a fleet of more than 200 F-16 aircraft, approximately 100 of which require upgrades. Reuters
Turkey currently maintains a fleet of more than 200 F-16 aircraft, approximately 100 of which require upgrades. Reuters
Turkey currently maintains a fleet of more than 200 F-16 aircraft, approximately 100 of which require upgrades. Reuters
Turkey currently maintains a fleet of more than 200 F-16 aircraft, approximately 100 of which require upgrades. Reuters

US stresses Nato interoperability as Turkey pushes F-16 sale


Bryant Harris
  • English
  • Arabic

The US on Monday stressed that it prioritises Turkey’s interoperability with Nato after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Washington had offered to sell Ankara F-16 fighter jets.

Mr Erdogan claimed at the weekend that President Joe Biden’s administration has offered to sell Turkey the F-16 aircraft as compensation for its expulsion from a co-production programme to build top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets.

Turkey currently maintains a fleet of more than 200 F-16 aircraft, approximately 100 of which require upgrades.

“As a matter of policy, the [US State Department] does not confirm or comment on proposed defence sales or transfers until they have been formally notified to Congress,” a State Department representative told The National.

“The United States strongly values its partnership with its Nato ally, Turkey. The United States and Turkey have long-standing and deep bilateral defence ties, and Turkey’s continued Nato interoperability remains a priority.”

State Department spokesman Ned Price clarified that the US has not made an offer to help Turkey finance any potential F-16 sale, as it sometimes does for allies seeking to purchase expensive American military hardware.

"We would refer you to the Turkish government to speak to its defence procurement plans," Mr Price told reporters at a State Department briefing.

"What I can say is the United States has not made any financing offers on Turkey's F-16 request."

Turkey lost $1.4 billion in the F-35 coproduction programme after the US expelled it in 2019 over its $2.5bn purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defence system.

The US fears that the powerful S-400 radar system could allow Russia to spy on its military hardware.

But Washington has left the door open to Turkey rejoining the F-35 programme if Ankara abandons the Russian missile system.

Turkey has so far refused to relinquish the system, and instead, Mr Erdogan began a public push to convince the US to reimburse it for its F-35 investment last month.

Mr Erdogan is expected to meet Mr Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Italy at the end of the month.

“We made a $1.4bn payment — what will become of that?” Mr Erdogan asked reporters after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.

“We did not — and do not — earn this money easily. Either they will give us our planes or they will give us the money.”

In addition to its removal from the F-35 programme, Turkey’s acquisition of the S-400 system prompted the US to sanction Ankara as required under a Russia sanctions law known as the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Caatsa), which Congress passed in 2017.

The sanctions could complicate any potential F-16 sale as they include a ban on all US export licences and authorisations to Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries, Ankara’s military procurement agency.

The sanctions also include an asset freeze and visa restrictions on Ismail Demir, the agency’s president, as well as other Turkish officials.

Mr Biden’s nominee to serve as ambassador to Turkey, former Republican senator Jeff Flake, told Congress last month that those sanctions will remain in place until Turkey abandons the S-400 missile system.

“I will also warn Turkey that any future purchase of Russian weapons risks triggering further Caatsa sanctions in addition to those already imposed,” said Mr Flake.

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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company name: SimpliFi

Started: August 2021

Founder: Ali Sattar

Based: UAE

Industry: Finance, technology

Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
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Name: Kumulus Water
 
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Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine

Three stars

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
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May 10, v Qatar
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May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

SERIES INFO

Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series

All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Test series

1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March

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3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March

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MATCH INFO

Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
 
Results
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Oman v Namibia - abandoned

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UAE FIXTURES

Friday February 18: v Ireland

Saturday February 19: v Germany

Monday February 21: v Philippines

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The biog

Name: Sarah Al Senaani

Age: 35

Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2

Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism

Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding

Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier

Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish

Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press 

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Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)

Nancy Ajram

(In2Musica)

ARGYLLE
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Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
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Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

Her most famous song

Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?

Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.

Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab

Updated: October 18, 2021, 8:43 PM