Istanbul
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Turkey was in talks with the United States to buy F-16 fighter jets after it was kicked off the F-35 programme for purchasing a Russian missile defence system.
Washington excluded Ankara from NATO’s F-35 stealth fighter jet programme in 2019 after Turkey purchased Russian S-400 defence air systems in defiance of warnings from its Western allies.
The acquisition has imperilled Turkish-US relations and blocked Turkey’s plans to purchase about 100 of the F-35 fighters.
Turkey is now seeking compensation for its ouster from the US-led programme, including for a $1.4 billion payment it had made before its removal.—AFP