Media: US Congress set to approve F-35 sale to Türkiye PHOTO

The US Congress may reconsider its decision regarding the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye.

A report prepared on this issue states that Türkiye is one of the eight international partners in the F-35 fifth-generation fighter programme, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media. 

The report, prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), places particular emphasis on Türkiye, highlighting that it is one of the leading international partners in the F-35 programme, alongside the UK and Canada.

According to the report, in July 2019, the US removed Türkiye from the F-35 programme due to its purchase of the S-400 air defence system. It states that Türkiye's acquisition of the S-400 raised concerns in the US that Russia could gain insight into the stealth capabilities of the F-35 fighter jet. 

The report also highlights that the decision to sell F-16 jets has brought the debate about whether Türkiye could still acquire F-35s back into the spotlight, noting, "Congress may reconsider Türkiye’s participation in the programme."

Additionally, the report mentions that Australia, Denmark, Norway, Canada, and Türkiye were involved in the F-35 programme as "level 3" partners, contributing between $125 million and $175 million.

The report also includes information that Türkiye was slated to handle maintenance and repairs of the engines before losing its partner status.

By Naila Huseynova