3 yıl önce

US and Turkey conclude "productive" talks on F-35, more set to follow

Turkey has made $1.4 billion in payments for the F-35 fighter jets, a project made possible by the joint investments of 13 countries around the world.

Turkey has repeatedly stated that the S-400 agreement is a done deal that cannot be cancelled, reminding Washington that Ankara, an essential component of the F-35 production process, has invested billions of dollars in participating in the program.

First talks between Turkey and the United States have concluded, aimed at resolving the dispute over Ankara's removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

The talks took place in Ankara on October 27. While the outcomes of the talks have yet to be concluded, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth announced that "discussions were productive."

A future delegation will convene in Washington, D.C. in coming months.

Amid rising rapprochement between the two nations, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan also discussed US-Turkey defence ties and the importance of dialogue in resolving disagreements on a call with Turkey's presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin earlier in the day.

This was followed by a call between Turkey’s Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd James Austin which raised issues of bilateral cooperation, regional defence and security.

Former US President Donald Trump removed Turkey from the F-35 programme in 2019, after Turkey purchased Russian advanced S-400 missiles. The Pentagon said that Turkey’s removal from the F-35 program was finalised on September 23.

NATO has affirmed that member states have the sovereign right to make decisions regarding military purchases and clarified that Turkey, a key NATO ally, would not be ostracised for seeking solutions for its national defence.

SOURCE: TRTWorld and agencies