Turkey is expected to send the final instrument ratifying Sweden's NATO membership to Washington within days now that President Tayyip Erdogan has signed it, in a move that Ankara hopes will pave the way for the purchase of U.S. fighter jets. F-16.
A source familiar with the matter said that the document could be deposited as early as this Friday (26), marking the last stage of a process that began in 2022.
After 20 months of delay, Turkey moved quickly this week to ratify the Swedish proposal, with parliamentary ratification arriving on Tuesday (23) and President Tayyip Erdogan signing approval on Thursday (25).
According to formal NATO rules, the final document of the process – the instrument of ratification – must be deposited in the US State Department Archives in Washington.
Turkey's support, long seen as the main obstacle to securing Sweden's membership in the Western military alliance, leaves Hungary as the only ally in the military alliance that has not yet ratified Sweden's candidacy.
Both Erdogan and members of the US Congress had previously linked Ankara's final approval of Sweden to the $20 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits to Turkey.
Shortly after the vote in the Turkish parliament, American President Joe Biden sent a letter to the leaders of key Capitol committees to inform them of his intention to begin the formal notification process for the F-16 sale as soon as Ankara completes Sweden's accession to NATO.
The US ambassador to Turkey told Reuters on Thursday that he expects Washington to take quick steps toward congressional endorsement of the sale, with the State Department immediately sending formal notification to Congress.
Source: CNN Brasil
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