A spokesperson for the US State Department said on Monday (18) that the US has not made any offers for the financing of F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to Turkey, contrary to the statement made by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Speaking to journalists before leaving for a trip to Africa, Erdogan said on Sunday (17) that Washington had proposed financing 40 F-16 fighters and 80 more modernization kits as compensation for the Turkish Government's investment of US$ 1.4 billion in the F-35 Program. Last week, Turkish government sources told Reuters that Ankara had requested the purchase of fighter jets and upgrade sets.
Ankara had acquired more than 100 F-35 fighters, as well as participation in the project, but was kicked out of the program after acquiring Russia's S-400 air defense systems, despite strong protest from the US. The Pentagon claims that Russian system integration could reveal data from the 5th Generation fighter.
“We would like to refer you to the Turkish government to talk about their defense procurement plans. What I can say is that the United States has not made any funding offers for Turkey's F-16 order.”, said Ned Price, spokesman for the US State Department, during a conference on Monday.
Asked about the possibility of the money invested by Turkey being used in the purchase of F-16s, Price said: “The Department of Defense remains engaged in a dispute resolution mechanism with Turkey on the F-35, but I will not prejudge the outcome.”
Ismail Demir, head of the Turkish Presidency of Defense Industries, said on TV that the country was also considering purchasing fighter jets from Russia. “If the [F-16 purchase and upgrade] process does not yield results, Turkey will not be left without alternatives. If necessary, the Su-35 and Su-57 topic can be opened at any time. Our industry will do everything to ensure our safety, and if something extra is needed, we can always find a way out.” Demir told broadcaster Kanal 7.
Valeria Reshetnikova, spokeswoman for the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, told reporters that Moscow is ready to negotiate Su-35, 4.5 generation and Su-57, 5th generation fighter jets. Russia has also offered technology transfer to Turkey, ing the development of its own stealth fighter, the TAI TFX.
The rapprochement between Ankara and Moscow is the result of the shakes in relations with the United States, a partner of the Turks for decades. THE Reuters says disagreements over Syria's policy, closer ties with Russia, its naval ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean, US accusations against a Turkish state bank and the erosion of rights and freedoms in Turkey over the past five years have strained diplomatic relations between the two nations. nations.
