Erdogan Says Biden Vowed to 'Do His Best' to Convince Senate to Allow F-16 Sale to Go Forward

The Turkish and US presidents met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome on Sunday to discuss the state of relations between the NATO allies. Turkey has made a request to buy 40 Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighter jets and almost 80 modernisation kits for its existing aircraft. US lawmakers have sought to block the sale.

US President Joe Biden has promised to make every effort to convince the US Senate to clear the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, with the chances of the deal moving forward estimated at 50/50, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced.

Speaking to reporters Monday aboard his presidential jet on route back home from the G20 summit in Rome, Erdogan confirmed that he and Biden had discussed the F-16 topic.

"I did not see any negative attitude from the Americans in this regard. On the contrary, we hope to conclude [negotiations on] this sensitive issue concerning relations between the two countries in meetings between our foreign ministers, our defence ministers. Biden said to me 'we may not get results very quickly. You know, the [approval] goes through two stages - the House of Representatives and the Senate. As you know, the situation is 50-50, but I will do my best,'" Erdogan said, paraphrasing his US counterpart.

"I said to him 'I believe you can achieve this.'...Hopefully, our defence ministers will continue their talks with one another," Erdogan added.

The president also said that he broached the topic of the F-35s with Biden, but did not elaborate on the nature of that conversation. Turkey is seeking to recoup $1.4 billion it invested into the programme before being unceremoniously booted out for buying Russia's S-400 air defence system.

Last week, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers wrote Biden a letter urging him not to sell F-16 jets to Turkey, suggesting that Ankara's recent announcement of its intention to purchase additional Russian S-400s, the US "cannot afford to compromise our national security by sending US-manufactured aircraft to a treaty ally which continues to behave like an adversary."

The letter also pointed to to the territorial dispute between Turkey, Greece and Egypt in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, suggesting that "as long as President Erdogan advances his expansionist project" in the area, "Turkey will continue to threaten our national security and the security of our closest allies in the region - Greece, Israel and Cyprus."

Last month, Ismail Demir, the chief of the US-sanctioned Turkish Presidency of Defence Industries, told local media that Ankara might purchase Russian Su-35 or Su-57 fighter jets if Washington blocks the sale of F-16s to the country.

Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu similarly warned that Ankara could buy Russian aircraft if the US fails to deliver its promised F-35s, or return the $1.4 billion Turkey invested in the fifth-gen jet project.