Turkey to look elsewhere for jets if U.S. blocks F-35 sale

Turkey to look elsewhere for jets if U.S. blocks F-35 sale

Turkey will buy jets elsewhere if the United States stops it buying Lockheed Martin F-35s, Ankara’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

"There are no reasons why the US will not supply F-35s to us. We do not want to spoil relations with our US ally. The F-35 aircraft should be delivered to Turkey as planned. But in case of problems, Turkey will not be left without an alternative. It may buy both from Russia and from a NATO country. There is an agreement on F-35s, and if one side withdraws from it, the necessary steps will be taken," the minister stressed.

Turkey has plans to buy more than 100 of the F-35 jets and last year the Pentagon last year awarded Lockheed $3.7 billion in an interim payment for the production of 50 of the aircraft earmarked for non-U.S. customers, including Ankara, Reuters recalls.

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