Blinken calls for NATO enlargement during visit to Turkey

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said during a visit to Ankara that the Biden administration supports the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
He also expressed his belief that Sweden and Finland would soon join NATO.
A deal to sell F-16 fighter jets worth $20 billion must be approved by the US Congress. Turkey requested 40 aircraft and around 80 upgrade kits.
In a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Blinken said he could not give a timeline for an official congressional notice of the pending sale, but was actively publicizing the Biden administration support for the deal.
“It’s very important for NATO interoperability and for US national security,” Blinken said.
Turkey and Hungary remain the only NATO members that have not yet approved the entry of Sweden and Finland into the alliance.
He said he was confident that “NATO will formally accept them soon, and when that happens, it will enhance the security of every NATO member, including the United States, including Turkey.”