Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan predicted the F-35 fighter jet project would fail, absent the involvement of Turkey, who makes some of the parts for the aircraft.
Erdoğan, who spoke Monday with President Trump about the purchase of the Russian S-400 missile systems, cautioned that those who want to cut Turkey from the project should reconsider such a move.
Turkey, along with other NATO allies, is a prospective buyer and a partner in the production of the aircraft. But Turkey is set on using Russian anti-aircraft weapons systems with the F-35 aircraft.
“We were surely not going to remain silent against our right to self-defense being disregarded and attempts to hit us where it hurts,” Erdoğan said at the International Defense Industry Fair on Tuesday, according to Reuters. “This is the kind of process that is behind the S-400 agreement we reached with Russia.”
“Nowadays, we are being subject to a similar injustice — or rather an imposition — on the F-35s … Let me be frank: An F-35 project from which Turkey is excluded is bound to collapse completely,” Erdoğan said.
Turkey’s insistence on using the Russian anti-aircraft system has drawn concerns from the U.S. and other NATO allies who use the F-35 aircraft that the S-400 missile system’s radar could learn to detect the F-35, affecting its ability to defend itself from Russian systems.
As a result, the Pentagon reportedly is examining ways to exclude Turkey from production of the aircraft and is investigating alternative sources for the parts of the plane currently produced by Turkey.
The U.S. has stopped delivering F-35 equipment to Turkey, although Ankara is expected to receive two jets later this year. Meanwhile, Ankara prepares to start accepting the delivery of the S-400s this summer.
