Erdogan says U.S. proposed F-16 sales in return for its F-35 investment

Reuters reported earlier this month that Turkey made a request to the United States to buy 40 Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighter jets and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes. Turkish Presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın confirmed the report a couple of days later. 

Speaking to reporters before departing for a trip to West Africa, Erdoğan said Turkey wants a return for its investment in the F-35 programme and that talks on the issue are ongoing.

"There is the payment of $1.4 billion we have made for the F-35s and the U.S. had such a proposal in return for these payments," Erdoğan said.

"And regarding this, we said let's take whatever steps are needed to be taken to meet the defence needs of our country," he said, adding that the new F-16 jets would help develop its fleet.

Ankara had ordered more than 100 F-35 jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp, but the U.S. removed Turkey from the programme in 2019 after it acquired Russian S-400 missile defence systems.

The decades-old partnership between the NATO allies has gone through unprecedented tumult in the past five years over disagreements on Syria policy, Ankara's closer ties with Moscow, its naval ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean, U.S. charges against a state-owned Turkish bank and erosion of rights and freedoms in Turkey.

Ankara's purchase of the S-400s has also triggered U.S. sanctions. In December 2020, Washington blacklisted Turkey's Defence Industry Directorate, its chief, İsmail Demir, and three other employees.

Since then the U.S. has repeatedly warned Turkey against buying further Russian weaponry. But Erdoğan has indicated Ankara still intends to buy a second batch of S-400s from Russia, a move that could deepen the rift with Washington.

The request for the jets will likely have a difficult time getting approval from the U.S. Congress, where sentiment towards Turkey has soured deeply over recent years.

There is bipartisan support in U.S. Congress to push the Biden administration to put further pressure on Ankara, primarily over its purchase of Russian weapons and its human rights track record.

Ankara has said it hopes for better ties under U.S. President Joe Biden.

Duvar English - Reuters