Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures as he speaks during a press conference at the end of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Sept 10, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

ANKARA - US President Joe Biden's administration is linking F-16 fighter jet sales to Türkiye with Turkish ratification of Sweden's NATO membership bid, and this "seriously upsets" Ankara, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference after a G20 summit in the Indian capital New Delhi, Erdogan said he had a "pull-aside" meeting with Biden on the sidelines of the gathering and they discussed the transfer of F-16s to Türkiye.

Biden made a connection between the supply of F-16s and Turkish action in ratifying Sweden's application to join NATO, Erdogan said. "This approach seriously upsets us," he said.

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Türkiye, which had been the main stumbling block in Sweden's path towards NATO, asked in October 2021 to buy $20 billion worth of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-16s and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes.

If you say that Congress will decide (on sales of F-16s to Türkiye), then we have a Congress in Türkiye as well - it is the Turkish parliament ... It is not possible for me to say "yes" (to Sweden's NATO membership bid) alone unless such a decision is approved by (our) parliament.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish President 

After months of objections, Erdogan agreed at a NATO summit in July to forward Sweden's NATO bid to the Turkish parliament for ratification.

A day later, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington would proceed with the transfer of F-16s to Türkiye in consultation with Congress.

However, the timing of both the F-16 transaction and the Turkish parliament's green light for Sweden remains unclear.

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"If you say that Congress will decide (on sales of F-16s to Türkiye), then we have a Congress in Türkiye as well - it is the Turkish parliament," Erdogan told reporters. "It is not possible for me to say 'yes' (to Sweden's NATO membership bid) alone unless such a decision is approved by (our) parliament."

Ankara has accused Sweden of harboring militants hostile to the Turkish state, mainly members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), deemed a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the European Union, and the United States.

Erdogan also said Sweden should "keep its promises" and take more steps - which would include extraditing alleged PKK militants and preventing pro-PKK rallies in Sweden - before Türkiye clears its NATO bid.

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To address Turkish concerns, Stockholm passed legislation in June outlawing being a member of a terrorist group or providing logistical and financial help to proscribed groups.

Stockholm recently voiced hope that Turkish lawmakers would ratify its NATO bid when they reconvene in October, as agreed at the NATO summit in July.

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Sweden and Finland applied last year to enter NATO. While Finnish membership was sealed in April, Sweden's bid remains held up by Türkiye and Hungary.

Turkish Foreign Minister has said Ankara and Budapest are working in close coordination on the issue.