M. Cavusoglu stated again yesterday that Turkey cannot accept conditions for the purchase of new F-16s from the USA.
Turkey’s defense industry chief Ismail Demir said Turkey may consider buying Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets if the US F-16 deal fails.
The United States has already officially informed Turkey of its exclusion from the procurement program for the latest F-35 fighter jets due to Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems.
Washington thus canceled the joint F-35 memorandum with Turkey, signing it with the seven remaining partners in the program – the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, Canada and Norway .
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan then announced the US proposal for the purchase of other fighters, not the fifth, but the fourth generation – F-16s, as well as the modernization of those already in the Turkish air force.
The specific issue, however, has “escalated” in the US Congress, despite the fact that the State Department has exerted pressure, stressing that the agreement “serves the interests of Washington”.
“One of the options could be the Su-35s,” Demir said in response to a CNN Türk host’s question about Turkey’s alternatives if the F-16 deal fails.
