Turkey Receives Neither Fighter Jets Nor Refund From US - Erdogan
Umer Jamshaid Published January 30, 2023 | 11:40 AM
ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th January, 2023) The United States has neither supplied Turkey with promised F-35 fighter jets nor returned $1.4 billion paid for them, with the talks on F-16 deliveries also stalled, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.
In April 2021, the US excluded Turkey from the F-35 program after Ankara purchased Russia's S-400 air defense systems. Erdogan said later that year that Washington had offered that Ankara buy F-16 jets instead, one generation behind the F-35s. However, the deal needs approval of the US Congress.
"There were people threatening us about purchasing S-400, while not offering anything in return. We are now in talks over F-16 deliveries but are being refused. We were promised F-35 jets but they (the US) didn't keep their words despite us paying about $1.
4 billion. There are no fighters and the money has not been returned. We always keep our word and expect this from our partners," Erdogan was quoted by Turkish news agency Anadolu as saying.
In mid-January, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, following a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, that Ankara was awaiting Washington's approval for requested supplies of F-16 fighters.
US President Joe Biden has long been seeking a green light from the US Congress for the sale of F-16 fighters to Ankara, with the US State Department trying to convince lawmakers that the deal aligns with Washington's interests. However, some congressmen strongly oppose the initiative.
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