Contracts for F-16 procurement from US signed — Turkish defence ministry

Contracts for F-16 procurement from the US have been signed, and work on details continues between delegations, the Turkish National Defence Ministry has announced.

The US State Department approved on January 27 the pending $23 billion sale of F-16 aircraft and modernisation kits to Türkiye, sending formal notification to Congress. The approval came after Türkiye ratified Sweden’s NATO membership.

Türkiye requested the US in October 2021 to purchase 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft and 79 modernisation kits to upgrade its remaining aircraft.

Regarding defence industry achievements, the ministry announced the successful floating of the third submarine, Murat Reis, from the shipyard and the export of Boran howitzers and Vuran vehicles to Georgia.

An agreement was also signed with Malaysia for technical and logistical support for various aircraft.

Anti-terror operations

During a press briefing, the Turkish National Defence Ministry has announced the results of recent military operations and ongoing security measures.

"The Turkish Armed Forces, continuing their strategy of eliminating terrorism at its source, have neutralised 30 terrorists in the past week. Since January 1, 2024, a total of 1,181 terrorists have been neutralised, including 531 in Iraq and 650 in northern Syria," the briefing said on Thursday.

It also addressed concerns regarding postponed local elections planned by the PKK terrorist organisation in northern Syria.

Elections planned by PKK in northern Syria

Reiterating warnings previously issued by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar against holding these elections, it emphasised that the elections have been postponed but not cancelled.

"We had warned that these so-called elections should not take place. They should not be merely postponed but completely canceled. The elections planned by the terrorist organisation violate United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 and Syria's territorial integrity. We reiterate our call for their complete cancellation," the officials said.

The ministry underscored the importance of adhering to international resolutions and maintaining the territorial integrity of Syria.

Border security operations

It added that border security operations remain robust, with 5,215 individuals attempting to cross illegally apprehended since the beginning of the year.

"210 individuals were captured in the past week alone. Additionally, 1,344 individuals were prevented from crossing in the past week, bringing the total to 59,636 for the year," the ministry expressed.

Approximately 39 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized in operations this week, as explained by the Turkish ministry.