WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Overseas Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez on Monday stated there was a short lived “lull” in Turkey’s “aggression towards its neighbors” and stated he’s in talks with the Biden administration concerning the maintain he has on future U.S. gross sales of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.
Menendez, a Democrat, stated in a quick hallway interview that whereas he nonetheless has considerations about Turkey, he may decide throughout the subsequent week concerning the standing of that maintain.
His remarks got here the day Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed to ahead to parliament Sweden’s bid to grow to be a member of the NATO navy alliance.
Requested whether or not that progress may immediate him to rethink his long-running maintain on the fighter jets, Menendez stated: “We’re having conversations with the administration.” He added, “In the event that they (Biden administration) can discover a approach to make sure that Turkey’s aggression towards its neighbors ceases, which there was a lull the final a number of months, that is nice however there needs to be a everlasting actuality.”
Menendez additionally stated that there wanted to be a solution to “beef up Greece’s safety” and acquire “assurances about future actions.”
Requested how lengthy it’d take for him to decide on sustaining the maintain on F-16 gross sales to Turkey, Menendez responded, “Most likely, if there will be one, within the subsequent week.”
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Modifying by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio)