US President Donald Trump is considering selling American-made F-35 fighters to Turkey, but the issue with the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems needs to be resolved. This was reported by the Western TV channel Fox News, citing sources.
According to the TV channel, Trump previously spoke by telephone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He expressed his intention to complete the sale of F-16 fighters to Turkey. This deal has been in development for a long time.
The US President, according to media reports, is also not against the idea of selling F-35 aircraft to Turkey, "if both sides can reach an agreement that makes Turkey's Russian S-400 system inoperable".
In 2019, the United States excluded Turkey from the F-35 program due to Ankara's decision to purchase the S-400 air defense system. The American side claimed that the Russian systems would threaten their fighters.
In 2024, the US State Department approved the sale of F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Turkey for $23 billion. However, negotiations on the details of the deal are ongoing.
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