Turkey may consider giving up its Russian S-400 systems to be readmitted to the U.S. F-35 fighter jet program. As a NATO member and U.S. ally with a major air base in the Middle East, Turkey was excluded from the F-35 program due to conflicts with the U.S., which now refuses to sell the fighters to the country.
The Turkish news channel Cumhuriyet reports that Turkey is trying to reverse its exclusion from the F-35 program. Turkey’s offer suggests keeping the S-400s inactive, with the proposal to store them and allow the US to conduct checks. There is also the possibility of selling the S-400s to countries like Pakistan.
According to Cumhuriyet, Turkey is seeking to gain an aerial advantage over its rival and NATO ally Greece. With the acquisition of 40 F-35s, Greece will soon have combat aircraft considerably more advanced than those of Turkey.
Giving up the S-400s would be a significant change and a loss of prestige for Turkey. In February, Bloomberg reported that Turkey was still opting to keep the S-400s rather than give them up and return to the F-35 program. Whether the U.S. will accept Turkey back into the program remains uncertain, especially given the U.S.’s recent refusal to sell F-16s to the country.
It is interesting to note that the US is supplying F-35s to nations such as the United Arab Emirates, which is deploying China’s Huawei 5G network, as well as Turkey.
Meanwhile, the US has agreed to deliver to Turkey 40 F-16 Block 70 fighters and a series of upgrade kits to modernize older planes. At the same time, Turkey is moving forward with the development of the Kaan, its national fighter that aims to compete with the F-35.
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