Turkey is still ready to consider purchasing Russian-made Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets, if Ankara fails to reach agreement with Washington on the delivery of US F-16 fighters, Head of Turkey’s Defense Industry Ismail Demir said on October 18.
“If the United States does not approve a deal on the F-16s after the situation with F-35 aircraft, no alternatives will be left for Turkey. The issue of Su-35 and Su-57 planes may surface again at any time,” the Turkish NTV television channel quoted Demir as saying.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on October 17 that the United States might sell F-16 fighters to Turkey after its decision to exclude Ankara from the program of developing the F-35 fifth-generation fighter, following Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense missile systems.
Turkey has not caved to US pressure and said that it would keep the S-400 system. Washington has responded by excluding Ankara from the US program of developing the fifth-generation F-35 fighter-bomber.