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EXCLUSIVE: Lawmakers on the hill are increasingly cautious that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is “playing a double game” as he seeks to support political gains in exchange for European security, sources told Fox News on Thursday.
Some in Congress are becoming increasingly reluctant to enter into talks with Ankara after Erdogan took steps to block NATO enlargement at a time when Europe faces its biggest security threat since World War II.
Earlier this month, President Biden called on Congress to approve a $ 400 million arms deal that would boost Turkey’s F-16 fleet by providing missiles, radar and equipment, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses ruling party MPs in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, October 28, 2020 (AP Photo)
Erdogan violates NATO unity, along with Putin’s threat to European security
A second proposal is expected to be presented, which will replenish Ankara’s air fleet by delivering new F-16s later this year.
The move, which appears to have been at least initially backed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, will help strengthen Turkey’s air defenses.
It will also serve to improve Washington’s relations with its NATO ally after relations cooled in 2019 when the United States blocked the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey following a deal reached by Ankara to buy Russian C-35 defense systems. 400.
But less than two weeks after the news of Biden’s proposal came, Erdogan said Turkey would block NATO bids from Sweden and Finland over allegations that the two nations have sheltered individuals whom Turkey considers ” terrorists. “
A senior Congressman, familiar with the proposal circulating in Congress, told Fox News on Thursday that the Biden administration was “played out” by Turkey.
“They are not an honest mediator and do not behave as a NATO ally should,” the official said. “They are acting very aggressively in their own interests.”
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – MARCH 05: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during talks in the Kremlin on March 5, 2020 in Moscow, Russia. Erdogan is on a one-day visit to Russia to discuss the military conflict in Syria. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov / Getty Images)
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Turkey has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, called for its removal from the UN Human Rights Council and sought to facilitate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
But Erdogan has also refused to sanction Moscow, and some see his blockade of NATO as a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While NATO security remains a major concern for some, and as Russia’s war rages for three months, others on the hill are not convinced that expanding the military alliance is necessarily the best option.
A source familiar with the matter said negotiations with Turkey to allow Sweden and Finland to join NATO were “short-term thinking”.
“There are reservoirs of skepticism everywhere,” the source added.
A spokesman for Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News that the leading Democrat had “serious concerns about Turkey’s anti-democratic trajectory under Erdogan – including its unbridled aggression outside its borders, its fiery division in the Eastern Mediterranean, and NATO. “
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 18: US Capitol Building in Washington, DC (Photo by Samuel Corum)
A senior congressman also cited a $ 40 billion aid package recently passed by Congress in support of Ukraine, and said that while there was strong opposition to Putin’s invasion, there was a lot of “skepticism” from the Republican Party over the huge bill. emergency appropriations.
“You need to look at the risks of NATO enlargement,” he said. “When the heat of this moment passes and we look at the US policy towards Ukraine since 2014, one has to weigh these things soberly.”
The White House did not answer Fox News’s questions about whether Biden supports the arms deal with Turkey or whether the administration will negotiate in an attempt to persuade Erdogan to expand NATO.
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“Finland and Sweden are working directly with Turkey to address Ankara’s concerns,” a National Security Council spokesman told Fox News. “We are confident that Turkey’s concerns will be addressed and that we will reach a consensus as a union on the accession process of Finland and Sweden.”
“The United States and Turkey have long and deep bilateral defense ties, and Turkey’s continued interoperability with NATO remains a priority,” the spokesman added.
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