A group of US lawmakers have submitted amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that will prevent the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey if Ankara continues its territorial overflights and airspace violations in the Aegean, writes Kathimerini.

Under this amendment, the President of the United States is prohibited from transferring weapons to a NATO member that has repeatedly violated the airspace or the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another NATO member.

The goal of US lawmakers is to ensure that the Biden administration does not proceed with the sale, as well as the modernization of Turkey's existing fleet of F-16 aircraft.

However, the amendment leaves open a window that allows the president to lift the restrictions if he confirms to Congress that it is in the vital national security interests of the United States. In this context, the President should provide a detailed description of the specific measures taken to ensure that American weapons are not used to violate the sovereignty of another NATO member.