US Senate Foreign Relations Chair to Review Turkish F-16 Deal

The new chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin, has stated that he will review Turkey's $20 billion F-16 fighter jet deal with Lockheed Martin. While Sweden's NATO accession is expected to be resolved soon, Cardin emphasized that there are other issues beyond NATO that need to be considered. The previous chairman, Senator Robert Menendez, had blocked the sale due to concerns over Sweden joining NATO, President Erdogan's human rights record, and overflights of Greek airspace. The Senate and House foreign affairs panels review major foreign arms sales, often raising concerns over human rights and diplomatic issues that can delay or halt such deals.