Senator Rand Paul Takes Steps to Prevent Sale of Fighter Jets to Turkey

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., this week submitted a joint resolution aiming to prohibit the planned sale of more than $20 billion worth of military jets to Turkey.

The White House last month notified Congress that it had approved the $23 billion sale of 40 F-16 fighter jets and equipment to modernize older F-16 jets to Turkey after the country ratified Sweden’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Paul, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, proposed a bill this week expressing disapproval of the deal and calling on Congress to prohibit it. Since its introduction on Feb. 5, the bill has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Several members of the Senate Foreign Relations panel, including chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., and ranking member Jim Risch, R-Idaho, initially objected to the deal, only to agree following commitments by Turkey to address human rights concerns.

“My approval of Turkey’s request to purchase F-16 aircrafts has been contingent on Turkish approval of Sweden’s NATO membership. But make no mistake: This was not a decision I came to lightly,” Cardin said last month.

“My concerns have been strongly and consistently conveyed to the Biden administration as part of our ongoing engagement, and I am encouraged by the productive direction of their discussions with Turkish officials to address these issues,” he added.