Erdogan “If the US does not give us F-16s, we will buy fighter jets from other countries including Russia”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has signaled that Ankara may procure fighter jets from other countries, including Russia, if the US does not sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.

Regarding the negative attitude towards F-16 procurement and modernization from the US, Erdoğan said, "I hope that America will not lead us to different paths in this relationship. I mean, it is not only America that sells fighter jets in the world." Asked for his opinion on White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Director John Kirby's statement "We do not have an update on the F-16 program" regarding Turkey's request for F-16 modernization from the United States in a briefing to reporters at the White House, and President Joe Biden's statement that he continues to support the bill restricting the sale of F-16s approved in July, Erdoğan said: "As you know, in the meeting we had with Mr. Biden in Madrid, he said he would give all the support he could. He had a positive approach about the F-16s and made an insinuation like 'Republicans do not support it'. Then my Foreign Minister had a meeting with a Republican official in Bulgaria. They expressed that they wanted the support of the Republicans on this issue. They said that they, as Republicans, could give Turkey the necessary support. I hope that America will not lead us to different paths in this relationship. What I mean by different paths is that it is not only America that sells fighter jets in the world. Britain sells them, France sells them, Russia sells them, it is possible to get them from everywhere. There are those who are signaling us for this." Follow Global Economic Developments on Social Media! Click here to follow Ieconomy official Facebook account! Click here to follow Ieconomy official Instagram account! Click here to follow Ieconomy official Twitter account!