Representatives of Turkey and US officials will soon meet to discuss F-35 fighter jets, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.
US-made planes were at the center of a dispute between Ankara and Washington when the United States removed Turkey as an F-35 program partner in 2019 over Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems. “Negotiations with the United States on the F-35 continue. “A meeting will be held in the United States in the coming days to discuss the issue of the F-35, preparations are underway,” Akar was quoted as saying by the Anatolian news agency.
He said Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s defense systems was a “necessity” as it could not find a NATO partner from whom to buy such a system on reasonable terms. The United States believes that the purchase of weapons from Russia by Turkey contradicts its position as a NATO member. Washington has imposed sanctions on the Turkish defense industry over the purchase, noting a low point in relations. Washington’s actions then drew sharp criticism from Ankara, with Erdogan saying Washington would “pay the price”.
Turkey initially agreed to buy F-35s in 2002, and five years later reached a deal to participate in their production – an agreement worth potentially billions of dollars for Turkish industry. The agreement ended in 2017, when Erdogan negotiated with Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase Russia’s S-400 air defense system.
Now, however, the mega-deal is about to resume amid strained relations between the West and Vladimir’s Russia.
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