Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is no longer opposed to the sale of F-16s to Turkey, according to a spokesman, after Ankara dropped its blockade on Sweden joining NATO.

McConnell previously told Punchbowl News he supported a hold on the sale by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee can unilaterally block major sales.

MARINE CORPS LED BY ACTING COMMANDANT FOR FIRST TIME IN 100-PLUS YEARS AMID TUBERVILLE HOLD

Menendez has yet to release his hold, telling reporters Monday that he needs assurances from the Biden administration that neighboring Greece would have a "qualitative edge" militarily in the region, but the opposition from McConnell was solely based on Turkey's refusal to admit Sweden into NATO, which requires a unanimous vote for new countries to join.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was one of two holdouts on its bid but agreed to relent after Sweden tightened its counterterrorism laws and committed to helping reduce trade barriers between Turkey and the European Union.

The announcement, which came on the eve of NATO's annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, left Hungary as the sole country opposing Sweden's accession. Budapest dropped its opposition hours later.

The parliaments of both countries must now ratify Sweden's entry into the alliance for it to become formal.

“I’m encouraged that President Erdogan and Prime Minister Orban have agreed to support Sweden’s accession," McConnell said in a floor speech Tuesday. "And I look forward to rapid action by the Turkish and Hungarian parliaments."

The addition of Sweden would complete NATO's long-term goal of encircling the Baltic coastline. But equally as important to Western leaders, the move, which follows Finland's accession in April, signifies a rebuke of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

McConnell, one of the most vocal defense hawks in the Senate, praised Sweden as having an "already capable" military while urging NATO allies to increase their contribution to defense.

Although the minority leader could not block the sale of F-16s to Turkey, his opposition escalated congressional pressure on Turkey, which is seeking to modernize its air force.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Biden administration had dangled the jets over Turkey in the weeks leading up to the summit.

The $20 billion sale, which the White House said on Tuesday it will move forward with, would include 40 new F-16s. The administration plans to provide Greece, which has endured Turkish incursions into its airspace, with the delivery of F-35s.