US-made F-35 fighter jets to arrive in Turkey in 2020 – Cavusoglu
At a special ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas, Turkey will take delivery of two F-35 Lockheed Martin-made fighter jets. After Turkish pilots will be trained, the jets will arrive in the country in 2020.
Lockheed Martin's F-35A Lightning II fighter jet.
Turkey will take delivery of two of 30 F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike fighter jets in the US state of Texas on Thursday while the jets are set to arrive in the country in 2020, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters in southern Antalya province, Cavusoglu said training for the Lockheed Martin-made jets will be carried out in the US until 2020.
"There will be training works until 2020. The arrival of the jets in Turkey will be in 2020," the foreign minister said.
Turkey has ordered 30 of the jets, and intends to order 70 more.
Final delivery could however be delayed after the US Senate on Monday approved the annual National Defense Authorization Act which includes an amendment prohibiting sales to Turkey of the F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike jets.
The US Senate cited Turkey's purchase of the S-400 air defense system from Russia and the detention of US citizens as the reasons.
Copyright © 2024 TRT World.