The NATO allies are nearing the end of a long process that has stoked tensions and tested Washington's ties with Ankara.
"The contract has been signed and delegations from both sides are negotiating the details," Turkish Defense Ministry sources told Sabah newspaper.
In October 2021, Turkey submitted a request to acquire 40 new F-16 aircraft and 79 fighter upgrade kits for its existing fleet.
In January of this year, the Biden administration formally informed Congress of its intention to proceed with the sale, valued at around $23 billion, shortly after Ankara formally ratified Sweden's NATO membership.
Last week, the State Department hailed the "major step forward" in Turkey's purchase of the new fighters, calling them "the most advanced F-16s ever provided only to our closest allies and partners."
Jeffrey Flake, the US ambassador to Ankara, also praised the progress and said the deal was "good for US national security, Turkish national security and NATO interoperability".
The sale shows the growing trust between the countries, Flake stressed.
Turkey initially sought to buy Lockheed Martin's more advanced F-35 fighter jets, but the US removed it from the multinational program to buy and help develop and build the fighter jet in 2019 after it acquired anti-aircraft systems C- 400 from Russia. | BGNES
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