Turkey: Is Erdogan turning to Britain to buy fighters? The 3 factors behind the US F-16 block

A few days after Mevlut Cavusoglu’s meeting with Antony Blinken, where Ankara did not achieve what it expected regarding the acquisition of F16 fighters, the Turkish media has returned to the subject, with reports that speak of an agreement between Turkey and Great Britain for armament programs.

Analysts believe that the US block on the F16 sale is part of the diplomatic game between Turkey and the US for Sweden’s accession to NATO. They note at the same time that a decision will hardly be made in America on the F16 issue before the presidential elections.

But Erdogan is in a hurry, and he wants to have some success in the matter, as a pre-election trump card. That is why, according to the Turkish media, it is turning to Great Britain for the purchase of fighters.

Erdogan is turning to Great Britain for equipment

Turkey‘s agreement with Great Britain for equipment includes the purchase of 24 to 48 Eurofighters, some of which are used, 3 frigates and C130 transport plane, as the SKAI channel correspondent reported from Istanbul, citing Turkish media.

“We urgently need new fighters so that the Greeks don’t run off at the mouth”, they say. The 3 factors behind the American block on F16s

Erdogan himself sees that it is very difficult to get a positive response for the F-16s before the May 14 election, as the US does not want to give him this gift.

“The Americans “punished” Ankara”, Ioannis Baltzois, vice general, president of the Institute of Strategic Studies, noted on ERT channel, analyzing the American blockade of the F16s.

“So we see that somehow until the elections on May 14, the decision of the Americans is not expected to be made. So do the Americans want to kick Turkey out of NATO? Not America’s deep state and not the American government. But they want to punish or discipline it or when they manipulate her for this attitude,” he said.

According to Mr. Baltzoi, “there are three factors in the decision of the Americans to give the F-16s. The economic factor. The whole package is 20 billion, i.e. the planes don’t go through, weapons systems, bombs, air missiles also go through. That’s a lot of money. Also, America owes Turkey because it had entered the F-35 program and has not returned the money, but despite everything, America should have its industries around 17-18 billion.

The second factor is the NATO factor. That is, America definitely wants Sweden and Finland to join NATO, especially at this time, and there is one country, Turkey, that is making it difficult. Hungary will say “yes” at some point, it is waiting to see what Turkey will do,” noted Mr. Baltzoi.

“Turkey is in a difficult position”

The third factor is the Iran syndrome held by the United States. When they lost Iran, the Americans also lost control of the Middle East. They cannot intervene in the Middle East, as in the past” he said and continued:

“While they had made an initial agreement to start withdrawing from Syria and to occupy these areas. My information is that no units have left there when they said they would, and a meeting of Mr. Cavusoglu with the other two foreign ministers of Syria and Russia is expected, but it has not been announced yet. So this issue is bogged down as well. Turkey is in a difficult position at the moment, and for this very harsh voices are also heard in America.”