Ankara is holding talks on purchasing the Su-57 jets from Moscow, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. But Turkey's foreign minister stressed his country is not giving up hopes on the US unfreezing the F-35 deal.
“Our ministries continue to have meetings with their counterparts [on this issue],” Erdogan told reporters on Friday, after being asked whether Turkey will purchase Su-57s.
The president’s words came a few days after he personally inspected the fifth-generation plane during an air show outside Moscow, where its export model was unveiled for the first time.
Turkey began eyeing Russian warplanes after its NATO ally, the US refused to sell it F-35 jet fighters. Washington was trying to pressure Ankara into scrapping a contract to buy the Russian S-400 air defense missile systems. Turkish officials refused to budge, insisting the country is free to get weapons from whoever it chooses.
“If the US doesn’t change its position on the F-35s, we will, of course, have to find another way how to address” the country’s need to purchase new jets, Erdogan said.
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