Ankara Seeks Agreement on Pricing of F-16 Fighter Jets

Turkey is preparing to enter a new phase of negotiations with the American defense company Lockheed Martin regarding the value of a multi-billion dollar deal for F-16 fighter jets, Bloomberg reports citing its sources.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had reached out to former U.S. President Donald Trump for support in the sale of F-16 Block 70 models during a meeting held in Washington last September.

Despite the U.S. Congress approving the delivery program for 40 F-16 Viper aircraft in February 2024, Ankara is dissatisfied with Lockheed Martin's demands, which include expenses related to upgrading the aircraft’s computers and the creation of new production lines.

Turkey, which is the largest operator of F-16 fighter jets outside the U.S., is also seeking to obtain the source codes for the computer programs to integrate its own weapons and radars.