US’ Turkey envoy revives F-35 issue

Military officials work astir a Russian transport aircraft, carrying parts of the S-400 aerial defence systems, aft it landed astatine Murted subject airdrome extracurricular Ankara, Turkey, connected Aug 27, 2019. [Turkish Defense Ministry/ via AP]

US Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack reiterated Washington’s awesome that Turkey could instrumentality to the F-35 program, speaking astatine the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.

A adjacent subordinate of President Donald Trump, Barrack besides drew a examination with Greece, noting it possesses F-35s while besides operating Russian-made S-300 systems. The remark aligns with arguments precocious by Turkey’s lobby successful the United States seeking adjacent entree to US defence technology.

Barrack said helium thinks the S-400 contented will σύντομα beryllium resolved, noting that from Trump’s perspective, acceptance into an F-35 programme is fine. Greece, helium noted, besides has S-300s and F-35s.

Athens avoids nationalist remark connected different countries’ arms programs, but Turkey’s instrumentality would trim Greece’s existent aerial superiority implicit the Aegean. Greece’s archetypal F-35 is expected aft 2029, while it already fields 24 Rafale jets and is upgrading 82 F-16s to Viper configuration.

Turkey, meanwhile, has agreed connected a scaled-down F-16 upgrade woody with the US and a Eurofighter acquisition with the United Kingdom. A instrumentality to the F-35 programme could equilibrium aerial powerfulness by astir 2035, if analyzable CAATSA sanctions issues tied to the S-400 acquisition are resolved.

Barrack besides addressed Turkey-Israel relations, calling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an exceptional person and saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does what helium thinks is champion for his country.

Speaking astatine the aforesaid forum, Erdogan accused Greece of trying to exclude Turkey successful the Aegean and violating the rights of the “Turkish” minority. He said some the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean should beryllium zones of stability and prosperity, while rejecting efforts that sideline Turkey and Turkish Cypriots. He added that a affirmative clime with Greece could assistance resoluteness disputes and extremity alleged rights violations successful Western Thrace arsenic well.