Instead of Refunding F-35 Payments, U.S. Offers Turkey F-16 Fighter Jets

Turkey has paid $1.4 billion for the acquisition of F-35 aircraft. This was announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to reporters at the airport before his visit to three African countries: Angola, Togo, and Nigeria.

He noted that the Turkish side is negotiating the return of these funds. “The American side offered us F-16 fighter jets in exchange for that payment. In this regard, we will take the necessary steps to meet the needs of our country's defense industry. Starting with the modernization of our F-16s, we will expand the defense industry base by purchasing new F-16s. We are in favor of solving the issue through dialogue,” Erdoğan stated.