Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made statements about the F-16 and F-35 fighter jet sales program, touched upon the topic of Russian Federation and S-400 air defense systems, and shared his vision of the risks of the Israeli-Hamas war and tense relations between the US and Iran.
This was reported by UNN with reference to A-Haber and CNN Turk.
Details
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke on local television about the controlled tension between Iran and the United States - according to the Turkish diplomat, the United States is "playing with fire," which could have regional consequences.
We have already mentioned the risk of regional consequences of the war in Gaza. Neither side wants to move to a certain stage. They are playing with fire. Playing with fire can turn into a fire. It is necessary to avoid regional consequences. The situation is not very good. We may face bigger consequences.
Mr. Fidan also explained the expectations of the decision of the US lawmakers on the F-16 deal.
As soon as we approved the Swedish law in parliament, US President Joe Biden sent a letter to Congress. Immediately after our president signed the law, the document was handed over to the other side, and Congress was notified. The process goes like this: after the documents [on the agreement with Turkey] are submitted to Congress, there is a two-week waiting period. So I am sure that after two weeks, that is, by next Saturday, the process will be completed
When asked how the F-35 issue with the United States would affect the Turkish-Greek balance in the Aegean, Fidan replied: "The F-35 problem has emerged as a reflection of Turkey's exclusion from the program and its desire and policy to improve its own defense capabilities.
Noting that Turkey is not only a customer but also one of the F-35's manufacturing partners, Minister Fidan said:
There are financial losses for Turkey, as well as losses in terms of the capacity it offered. We are now working to address this. Especially in terms of compensation for material losses, our relevant authorities are doing serious intensive work
Hakan Fidan noted that since Greece is a NATO member, it is on the list of countries to which the US will distribute after production, and said: "The F-35 is expected to be delivered after 2030. We will follow what will happen...".
As for the S-400, according to the diplomat, it was a reflection of Turkey's search and policy for the development of air defense capabilities.
When we were unable to get the support we had hoped for from our NATO partners on this issue, we signed a deal with Russia on S-400 air defense systems. Using this agreement as an excuse, the Americans took a position within their own legal framework.
Recall
Turkey is in talks with the UK and Spain to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.
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