Senator Rand Paul attacks Ankara over F-16 sale: What is Ankara's next blackmail? I asked… Unfortunately, the sale “passed” in the Senate…

The catapult against Türkiye was Republican Senator Rand Paul In discussing a “resolution of disapproval” in the Senate on the sale of F-16 aircraft to the occupying force.

Unfortunately, despite the senator's efforts, the F-16 “resolution of disapproval” he submitted to the Senate was rejected – as expected. The sale of fighter jets to Turkey will continue as usual, unless it repeats its provocations against Greece.

In his speech, Rand Paul referred to Ankara's threats against Greece and the flights of Turkish fighter planes.

He also highlighted the level of human rights in Turkey, Ankara's aggression against its neighbors (referring to the Eastern Mediterranean), Erdogan's support for Hamas terrorists, the S-400 issue, and Turkish blackmail in NATO while taking advantage of Sweden's accession.

The American Senator even asked himself:

• “What new blackmail will Turkey practice the next time we ask it to act as a suitable ally?

Senator Rand Paul, explaining his negative position on the sale of F-16 aircraft, said:

He added: “I am not here to tell you that Turkey is our best ally. Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but it behaves in a way that is unlike any other ally. I completely understand the senators’ dissatisfaction with Turkey, but (when they finally agreed to enter Sweden, We agreed to give them F16s) so a deal is a deal.

We made this deal and they kept their side of the bargain. The truth is no, too soon (ss: quickly). It is essential for the United States that when we give our word on something, we keep our word.

Thanks @SynRandPaul And all who joined him today in taking a principled stand against President Biden’s sale of F-16s to Turkey – a reckless move that would threaten US forces and America’s allies – including Armenians. pic.twitter.com/aIZnxDjd8N

– ANCA (@ANCA_DC) February 29, 2024

But he added the following:

The Turkish president has praised Hamas as a “liberation group,” the Turkish army has fired on our forces in Syria, and Turkish police are imprisoning those who dare criticize its leader. All of this does not sound like the actions of an “ally” worthy of $23 billion worth of American firepower.

Chairman of the International Relations Committee Ben Cardin (Maryland Senator) justified the following:

I did not hesitate to make clear that Türkiye must change its course. I have consulted closely with the highest levels of the Biden administration on this sale for months. I think they share my concerns and I think we are making progress. So I want to be clear.

Approving the sale of F-16s to Turkey was not a decision I made lightly as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This was dependent on Türkiye's approval of Sweden's membership in NATO. This condition has been fulfilled, said the Democratic senator, who should apologize for his unacceptable decision.

In turn, Senator Reese justified himself as follows:

He added: “I am not here to tell you that Turkey is our best partner. Turkey is an ally in NATO, but it does not behave like this (it should be an ally). I can completely understand the dissatisfaction of senators with Turkey, but (when Sweden was finally allowed to join NATO, we agreed to provide F16s. A deal is a deal. We made this deal and they kept their word. Granted, it didn't happen very quickly, but they kept their word. And it's essential for the United States when we give our word. “It's something to keep our word.”

Protests over killing of 112 Palestinian civilians in Gaza and obstruct truce efforts: Biden speaks of 'serious incident' with consequences for already difficult negotiations [videos]

Follow Hellas Journal on Google News