According to Turkish newspaper, Yeni Safak Ankara likely switches to buy the Russian Su-57 if Washington decides to suspend the delivery of F-35.
Turkey signed an agreement to purchase S-400 air defense systems from Russia.
The deal triggered disagreements between Turkey and the United States, with the latter threatening to impose sanctions against Ankara
US Senate Armed Services Committee released details of its version of annual defense policy bill.
The draft, in particular, implies that the delivery of US F-35 jets to Turkey should be suspended in response to Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 anti-missile systems.
“If they take such a step at a moment when we are trying to mend our bilateral ties, they will definitely get a response from Turkey. There is no longer the old Turkey,” Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told private broadcaster CNN Türk in an interview on May 6.
Lockheed Martin plane to deliver Turkey’s first F-35A stealth fighter on Jun. 21, 2018.
Turkey plans to purchase 100 F-35A to replace its aging F-4 Phantom II fleet
F-35A is a conventional takeoff and landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter.
The Sukhoi Su-57 is a stealth, single-seat, twin-engine multirole fifth-generation fighter aircraft designed for air superiority and attack roles.