Turkey on Wednesday appealed to the US to hasten delivery of F-16 jets in a sale officials hope could coax Ankara into lifting objections to a Nato expansion.
But the deal is bitterly opposed by a key senator.
Meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he intended to discuss his country's request for modernised versions of the mainstay F-16 fighter jets.
"As we said together before, this is not only for Turkey but also important for Nato and for the United States as well," Mr Cavusoglu said.
"So we expect the approval in line with our joint strategic interests."
The US is finalising a $20 billion package for Turkey that is expected to include about 40 new F-16s.
The sale would be simultaneous with a deal for top-of-the-line F-35 jets for Greece, Turkey's historic rival, with which tensions have risen sharply over disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The US has been looking for ways to persuade Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to lift objections to allowing Sweden and Finland into Nato.
The two nations became keen to join the western alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
But all Nato members must agree, and Mr Erdogan has pressured Sweden and Finland to crack down on Kurdish militants who have moved to the two countries.
US President Joe Biden has indicated support for selling F-16s to Turkey.
Mr Blinken called Turkey a close ally and praised its role in negotiating with Ukraine and Russia to allow grain shipments to the world.
But Senator Bob Menendez, a member of Mr Biden's Democratic Party who leads the Senate foreign relations committee, has vowed to block any sale.
Late last month, Mr Menendez said that Mr Erdogan's remarks threatening Athens with missiles were "totally unacceptable".
He also condemned a ban from politics of Istanbul's popular mayor, earlier considered to be a major threat to Mr Erdogan in May elections.
"He might be doing it out of spite. Or he might be doing it because he is a thug," Mr Menendez said of Mr Erdogan.
"But one thing is clear — the United States must take the Turkish President's actions seriously."
Mr Menendez pledged to hold back the F-16s until Mr Erdogan "halts his campaign of aggression across the entire region".
In a joint statement, Mr Blinken and Mr Cavusoglu said they "agreed on the importance of preserving stability and channels for communication" in the Eastern Mediterranean.
State Department spokesman Ned Price, asked about Mr Menendez's stance, acknowledged opposition from politicians when the administration shared its support for F-16 sales.
But Mr Price noted that Congress also was united on wanting to see a path forward on Nato.
"There is strong support within the US Congress for Finland, Sweden, to become Nato's newest members," he said.
But Mr Price acknowledged concerns with Turkey including on a potential offensive against Syrian Kurds, reconciliation with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, and on domestic political freedoms.
"We remain deeply concerned by the continued judicial harassment of civil society, media, political and business leaders in Turkey," he said.
Turkey in 2019 was removed from the F-35 programme after Mr Erdogan completed a major arms purchase from Russia, the key adversary of Nato.
Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)
Other key dates
-
Finals draw: December 2
-
Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
