New Delhi: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he has expressed his desire to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet programme. Erdogan’s statement came after meeting US President Donald Trump at the NATO summit held in The Hague. It is being said that Erdogan has also talked to Trump about F-35. The US had removed Turkey from the F-35 programme due to its purchase of S-400 defense system from Russia. Not only this, the US also imposed sanctions on Turkey’s defense industries. However, it is feared that if Turkey gets F-35, it may increase the tension of India’s four friendly countries.
What did Erdogan say on F-35?
Speaking to reporters on his return flight from the NATO summit in The Hague, Erdogan said he hoped to make progress following their discussions on the issue. “We have not given up on the F-35. We are discussing our intention to return to the programme with our counterparts,” his office said on Thursday, June 26.
“We discussed the issue in our meeting with Trump, negotiations have begun at the technical level. God willing, we will make progress,” Erdogan was quoted as saying in the statement.
How was news broken to Turkey?
Meanwhile, the US envoy in Ankara said on June 29 that US sanctions imposed on Turkey’s defence sector over its purchase of Russian air defence systems are likely to be lifted by the end of the year. Speaking to Anadolu state news agency, Tom Barrack said that US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will instruct their top diplomats to “find a way and end this. I believe that by the end of the year, we are likely to have a solution.”
What was Turkey’s role in F-35 consortium?
Turkey was previously a partner in the F-35 consortium, which was making about 900 parts for the fifth-generation stealth aircraft. At the time, Turkey planned to buy 100 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft and reportedly paid US$1.4 billion upfront for the project. However, Turkey pulled out of the program in 2019 after it purchased the Russian S-400 air defense system despite strong US opposition. Additionally, sanctions were imposed on Ankara’s defense industry under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
How did India help Turkey in getting offer of F-35?
Turkey’s attempt to re-enter the F-35 programme comes after the US made an informal offer of this aircraft to India. India is using the Russian S-400. Despite this, US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have offered India the F-35 fighter aircraft. In such a situation, it seems that the US has overcome its concerns about the joint operation of the F-35 and S-400. Earlier this year, Fox News reported that Donald Trump was considering the idea of completing the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey and selling the F-35 to Ankara, provided both sides reach a consensus that Turkey’s Russian S-400 system be deactivated.
Threat to India’s friends
If America sells F-35 fighter aircraft to Turkey, it can increase the threat to India’s four friends. These include Israel, Greece, Armenia and Cyprus. India has strong bilateral and defense relations with these four countries. However, the relations of these four countries with Turkey are tense. At the same time, Turkey has a dispute with Greece over the islands. Armenia has been facing the aggression of Turkey’s friend Azerbaijan since its inception. Cyprus is also a country oppressed by Turkey and Turkey has occupied a large part of its territory.
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