Pentagon officers met with representatives of Turkey’s Protection Ministry in Ankara Oct. 27 in a bid to resolve the 2 NATO allies’ dispute over Turkey’s expulsion from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
The Protection Division’s prime coverage director for Europe and NATO, Andrew Winternitz, accompanied Melissa Benkert, a prime director on the Pentagon’s acquisitions and sustainment workplace, within the discussions.
US Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin and nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan additionally each spoke with their Turkish counterparts by cellphone Oct. 27. Austin thanked Protection Minister Hulusi Akar for internet hosting the delegation.
The Pentagon mentioned the talks in Ankara had been “productive,” but whether or not the 2 sides agreed on something concrete stays unclear. “The assembly demonstrates the dedication of the US authorities to conclude respectfully Turkey’s prior involvement within the F-35 program,” the Pentagon’s assertion learn.
One US army official referred to as the assembly a “vital first step” towards resolving the dispute.
Why it Issues: The optimistic tone suggests Turkish officers have the Biden administration’s full consideration. Nonetheless, don’t count on the quarrel — which helped plunge Washington’s relations with Ankara to their lowest level in maybe 4 a long time — to vanish in a single day.
Turkey’s leaders are demanding compensation for $1.4 billion they paid towards an preliminary order of as much as 100 Lockheed-Martin F-35s. Earlier than any of the planes had been delivered, nevertheless, Washington expelled Turkey from the membership of countries allowed to accumulate the fifth-generation fighter jet after Ankara additionally bought Russia’s S-400 missile protection system in 2017.
US officers insist the S-400’s radar methods threaten to compromise the F-35’s cutting-edge expertise. Their allies in Anatolia have pushed again on that whereas insisting their authorities is free to buy weapons because it sees match.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan just lately hinted at a path ahead within the dispute, saying that the Biden administration proposed a sale and improve of a number of dozen F-16s for Turkey to compensate for Ankara’s loss.
The Turkish air pressure depends closely on the F-16 fighter jet, however roughly half of its fleet are in want of modernization upgrades.
State Division spokesman Ned Worth pumped the brakes on Erdogan’s remark final week, saying Washington had not proposed any financing choices as a part of a possible F-16 sale.
“We are going to get this $1.4 billion of ours a method or one other,” Erdogan mentioned in obvious response final week.
“Both Turkey must be despatched again to the F-35 program or the cash we paid ought to be given or compensated with different merchandise,” Turkey’s Overseas Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu instructed CNN yesterday.
In the meantime, Turkey’s leaders are teasing the choice of buying Russian fighter jets as a strain tactic forward of a proposed meeting between President Joe Biden and Erdogan.
However officers in Washington have been unequivocal: Further purchases of main Russian army {hardware} by Turkey will set off extra US economic sanctions. Such a transfer would additionally seemingly hurt Turkey’s ties with NATO past calculable restore.
What’s Subsequent: Erdogan hoped to debate the F-35 situation with Biden on the G-20 summit in Rome this weekend, however that will have to attend until world leaders assemble in Glasgow subsequent week.
Whereas no date has but been introduced, the Pentagon mentioned its dispute decision crew agreed to carry its subsequent assembly with Turkish counterparts in Washington within the coming months.
Whether or not the Biden administration can sufficiently handle Congress’ animosity towards Erdogan to make any actual progress in patching over the NATO rift stays to be seen.
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