[ Reuters ] Time to lift ‘unjust’ sanctions on Turkey’s defence industry, Erdogan tells Biden

By | March 13, 2022

Time to lift ‘unjust’ sanctions on Turkey’s defence industry, Erdogan tells Biden

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call on Thursday that it was past time to lift all “unjust” sanctions on Turkey’s defence industry. According to a statement from Erdogan’s office, he also told Biden that Turkey expected its request to purchase 40 new F-16 fighter jets and modernise its existing fleet to be finalised as soon as possible.

U.S. President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the opening session of the G20 summit at the La Nuvola conference center, in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. The two-day Group of 20 summit is the first in-person gathering of leaders of the world’s biggest economies since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Photo: Erin Schaff / Pool Photo via AP

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call on Thursday that it was past time to lift all “unjust” sanctions on Turkey’s defence industry.

According to a statement from Erdogan’s office, he also told Biden that Turkey expected its request to purchase 40 new F-16 fighter jets and modernise its existing fleet to be finalised as soon as possible.

Ankara had initially ordered more than 100 F-35 jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp, but the United States removed Turkey from the programme in 2019 after it acquired Russian S-400 missile defence systems.

Turkey has called the move unjust and demanded reimbursement for its $1.4 billion payment.

Reuters reported last year that Ankara had made a request to Washington to buy 40 Lockheed Martin-made F-16s and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes.

Turkey’s purchase of the S-400s has also triggered U.S. sanctions. In December 2020, Washington blacklisted Turkey’s Defence Industry Directorate, its chief, Ismail Demir, and three other employees.

DPA Notes: Very smart of Erdogan to start forcing Biden and the US to decide where Turkey should align itself more towards to – a perfect timing to get back either their money or get the deliveries of the fighter jets.

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