The Turkish defense ministry has received a draft offer and a letter of acceptance regarding the modernization of existing F-16s in its fleet and the procurement of new fighter jets, as reported by the state-run Anadolu agency on Thursday.
During a press conference at the ministry on Thursday, Col. Zeki Aktürk, the ministry's press and public relations consultant, announced the development. Aktürk stated that the ministry had received the offer and the letter concerning their request from October 2021 for the procurement of 40 new F-16 Block-70s, as well as the modernization of the existing 79 F-16s in accordance with the needs of the Turkish Air Force Command.
After months of negotiations, the US government approved a $23 billion deal to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey on January 26, following Ankara's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership.
Turkey's parliament ratified Sweden's NATO membership on January 23, after more than a year of delays that disrupted Western efforts to demonstrate resolve in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine.
In the meantime, Adem Yavuz Arslan, a journalist in exile, claimed in a video released on his YouTube channel that, according to the details announced by the US, the market value of what the US is providing in the deal is a "maximum of $7 billion." Arslan stated that the deal, priced at $23 billion, has a "suspicious" and "unexplained" aspect that needs to be brought to light.
