ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan instructed U.S. President Joe Biden in a telephone name on Thursday that it was previous time to lift all “unjust” sanctions on Turkey’s defence business.
According to a press release from Erdogan’s workplace, he additionally instructed Biden that Turkey anticipated its request to buy 40 new F-16 fighter jets and modernise its current fleet to be finalised as quickly as doable.
Ankara had initially ordered greater than 100 F-35 jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp, however the U.S. eliminated Turkey from the programme in 2019 after it acquired Russian S-400 missile defence methods.
Turkey has referred to as the transfer unjust and demanded reimbursement for its $1.4 billion cost.
Reuters reported final 12 months that Ankara had made a request to Washington to purchase 40 Lockheed Martin-made F-16s and practically 80 modernization kits for its current warplanes.
Ankara’s buy of the S-400s has additionally triggered U.S. sanctions. In December 2020, Washington blacklisted Turkey’s Defence Industry Directorate, its chief, Ismail Demir, and three different staff.
The decades-old partnership between the NATO allies has gone by unprecedented tumult in recent times over disagreements on Syria coverage, Ankara’s nearer ties with Moscow, U.S. expenses in opposition to a state-owned Turkish financial institution and erosion of rights and freedoms in Turkey.
Washington has repeatedly warned Turkey in opposition to shopping for additional Russian weaponry. Ankara has stated it intends to undergo with the acquisition of a second batch of S-400s from Russia, a transfer that would worsen the diplomatic rift with the United States.
The request for the jets will doubtless have a troublesome time getting approval from the U.S. Congress, the place sentiment in direction of Turkey has soured deeply over latest years.
Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers urged the Biden administration in October not to promote F-16 fighter jets to Turkey and stated they have been assured Congress would block any such exports.
(Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Alex Richardson and David Gregorio)
