Posted on 03/04/2024 6:23:35 AM PST by RandFan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate on Thursday soundly defeated an effort to stop the $23 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits to Turkey, which President Joe Biden's administration approved after Turkey approved Sweden's joining the NATO alliance.
The Senate voted 79 to 13 against a resolution of disapproval of the sale introduced by Republican Senator Rand Paul.
Before the vote, Paul criticized Turkey's government and said allowing the sale would embolden its "misbehavior." Backers of the sale said it was important for Washington to keep its word to a NATO ally.
The Biden administration formally informed Congress on Jan. 26 of its intention to proceed with the sale of 40 Lockheed Martin F-16s and nearly 80 modernization kits to Turkey, a day after Ankara fully completed ratification of the NATO membership of Sweden.
The sale had been held up for months over issues including Turkey's refusal to approve Sweden's accession to the military alliance. Turkey first asked to make the purchase in October 2021.
The U.S. Arms Export Control Act gives Congress the right to stop a major weapons sale by passing a resolution of disapproval in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Although the law has been in effect for half a century, no such resolution has both passed Congress and survived a presidential veto.
(Excerpt) Read more at uk.news.yahoo.com ...
He says:
“Turkey’s President praised Hamas as a ‘liberation group,’ Turkey’s military fired at our troops in Syria, and Turkey’s police imprison those who dare to criticize the leader. That doesn’t sound like the actions of an ‘ally’ deserving of $23 billion worth of American firepower,” Paul said in a statement.
What is your view on Turkey ??
79-13. Not even close. It probably wasn’t a consideration at the time, but the Founders should have limited terms for the House and the Senate.
The voting should be towards any efforts to remove Turkey from nato and keeping advanced technologies out of Islamic hands.
The F16 sale was the reason Turkey allowed Sweden into NATO. Politics is ugly and follows its own logic.
What’s amazing is that Turkey hasn’t taken over the Greek islands near its cost. Probably a lot of politics keeping that from happening, but it’s probably on the agenda as whoever owns those islands gets to develop the gas and oil reserves.
The F-16 was ‘advanced’ technology...in 1978
Whatever happened to all those military officer coup plotters in Turkey?.......
“What is your view on Turkey?”
They’re muzzies. Therefore they are not to be trusted.
L
Well, now we know 79 U.S. Senators are traitors to the United States of America.
About the only thing remaining from the original version is the airframe. Everything else is new: radars, avionics, weapon systems, engines. The newest blocs are quite capable, as are the F15 variants. The problem is the radar signatures.
“but the Founders should have limited terms for the House and the Senate”
*************
The Founders can be forgiven for this. The Founders never imagined the kind of longevity we have today nor the notion that politics would become “a profession”. They probably also believed that the voters would remove the aged, feeble and corrupt legislators.
Its not the fault of the Founders. Its our fault for allowing politicians to stay in office long enough to make their self interests and careers a priority.
I dont think export versions have the latest and greatest in radars, avionics, weapon systems. We sell these to Pakistan. I dont think Turkey is any different. They both suck.
Erdogan has been quite effective at infiltrating his people in the military and suppressing the others. Hundreds of officers have been arrested.
Under Bush's sentimental virtue signaling, the US failed to support military coups in Venezuela and Turkey that would have prevented the mess we see now when we could have done so.
“...police imprison those who dare to criticize the leader. “
Is this about Ukraine ?
They never imagined...States giving up their right to select and control their own $inator$.
Greece has F16s, too?
Ally?
Turkey dictator Erdogan despises Israel and praises Hamas.
Erdogan has radicalized Turkey Muslims and completely destroyed the secular elements in the government, the military, the education system, the general economy (inflation near 70%), and the news media.
Thank you, Rand, for at least making a little noise about this travesty.
Greece is in total cultural and financial and demographic collapse. Yes they have fighters and lots of tanks. But the manpower, training and logistics to train, supply and man their equipment is lacking. I haven’t seen anything on the subject lately, but I’d say they’re ripe for anyone to walk in and kick over the government. They’re running on inertia. Fortunately for them Turkey is in similar shape.
Sigh. Our diverse, equitable and fake pronoun-tolerant US Air Force will be facing OUR OWN jets in the air one of these days.
The Founders did their best to protect us against our own folly, stupidity and weakness. They gave us a wonderful republic but its appearing unlikely that we will be able to keep it (as Franklin feared).
The viability of the system they left us depended on a discerning, ethical and informed population. We are struggling to meet those requirements.
Turkey should have NEVER been allowed in NATO
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.