The US House of Representatives on Thursday approved a law that will create a new obstacle to President Joe Biden's plans to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, Reuters reports, quoted by BTA.

The House of Representatives approved the measure, proposed by Democrats Frank Pallone and Chris Pappas, as an amendment to the annual National Defense Act, by a vote of 244 to 179. 

The amendment would prohibit the United States from selling or transferring the planes to Turkey unless the administration certifies that doing so is essential to U.S. national security and includes a description of specific steps taken to ensure the planes are not used for multiple unauthorized overflights over Greece.

The Senate must also approve its version of the national defense bill.

Lawmakers must then reach a compromise version of the legislation, which authorizes more than $800 billion in defense spending, before voting on it again later this year, the agency said.

Greece lobbies to block US F-16 deliveries to Turkey

Many US lawmakers were angry with Ankara after the acquisition in 2019 of a Russian-made missile defense system, which triggered US sanctions, as well as the removal of Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, Reuters recalls.

The increasingly authoritarian rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the erosion of freedoms for journalists, lawyers and human rights activists have also led many in Washington to oppose arms sales to Turkey.

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