Turkey to receive F-35 jets ‘sooner or later’: Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

The F-35 jets, developed by nine countries including Turkey and the United States, will be delivered to Ankara eventually, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said late on May 18.

“Sooner or later, we will receive the delivery of the F-35s, their equipment, and S-400s, too, will come to our country,” Erdoğan said after a fast-breaking dinner attended by representatives of youth organizations at the historical Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.

“There is absolutely no question of stepping back on the S-400 issue. It’s a done deal,” Erdoğan added, referring to the air defense systems expected to be delivered by Russia until the end of this year.

Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey have reached a fever pitch in recent months with Turkey set to begin receiving the advanced S-400 Russian surface-to-air missile system that Washington said will jeopardize Turkey’s role in the F-35 fighter jet program and which could trigger congressional sanctions.

Turkey decided in 2017 to purchase the S-400 system following protracted efforts to purchase air defense systems from the U.S. with no success.