Ankara and Washington will negotiate the delivery of F-35 fighters in late January-early February in the United States, informed Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, RIA Novosti reported.
The United States previously sent an official notice to Turkey about its exclusion from the program for the supply of the latest F-35 fighters due to Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems. The US canceled the joint memorandum on the F-35 signed by Turkey in January 2007, signing it with the seven remaining partners in the F-35 project - the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, Canada, and Norway. The Turkish president said that the US offered his country to buy F-16 fighters after it was excluded from the F-35 supply program.
“As for the F-35, we asked: ‘We made such a contribution, how will we compensate?’ The American side said that it understands. An agreement was reached to meet in late January-early February. Our delegation will leave for the USA. Six F-35s destined for Turkey are in the hangar. It is being discussed what will happen to them,” Turkish newspaper Milliyet quoted Akar as saying.
