Trump Assures Erdogan Patriot Missile Sale To Get Congress Approval - Reports

US President Donald Trump has assured his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that the Congress will not block a potential sale of Patriot missile systems to Ankara, Turkish media reported on Saturday, citing diplomatic sources.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd December, 2018) US President Donald Trump has assured his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that the Congress will not block a potential sale of Patriot missile systems to Ankara, Turkish media reported on Saturday, citing diplomatic sources.

According to the Hurriyet newspaper, the US president also pledged that there would no obstacles to the deliveries of US F-35 fighters to Turkey.

The reports come after the US Department of State announced on Tuesday that it authorized a proposed deal worth $3.5 billion for Patriot missile system and related equipment to Turkey. The decision is yet to be approved by the Congress. The announcement followed US-Turkey tensions over the latter's plans to purchase Russia's S-400 systems, despite Washington's threat of sanctions.

US officials have also warned that if Ankara goes ahead with its plans to purchase the S-400 systems, the United States could withhold the transfer of F-35 jets to Turkey. In addition, the US Congress has passed legislation that would block the transfer of the jets. On December 5, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu noted that Ankara did not see any problems with the supply of F-35 fighter jets.

The first two F-35 fighter jets were transferred to Turkey at defense contractor Lockheed Martin's facility in Fort Worth, Texas in June. According to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the United States will hand over two more F-35s in March 2019. The purchase is made under the US-sponsored multinational F-35 development program, which Ankara joined in 2002.