Turkey eyeing Russian fighter jets in snub to US
- President Erdogan said Su-35s and Su-57s are a possible alternative to American planes
- The Turkish leader plans to meet Trump next month at the United Nations General Assembly in New York
“If the United States maintains its current stance on the F-35s, we will take care of this,” he told reporters in Ankara.
“Beyond putting the Su-35 or 57 issue on the table, the issues that we are discussing are what measures we can take for our defence industry or for our defence, and these are surely aspects being discussed as part of our precaution packages,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Erdogan with a smile that “you can buy” Russia’s latest Su-57 stealth fighter after the two leaders inspected the jet on Tuesday at an aviation show outside Moscow. When Turkish reporters asked Erdogan whether the fifth generation fighter may be an alternative to the F-35, he replied: “Why not? We did not travel to Moscow for nothing.”
Russian and Turkish defence officials began discussions on possible sale and joint production of warplanes after the meeting. Erdogan said he would wait until the US makes its final decision on Turkey’s involvement in the F-35 programme. It’s currently barred from buying or helping to build the aircraft, and US Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday ruled out any compromise.