Türkiye confirms deal to buy US F-16s

Contracts have been signed between Ankara and Washington for the procurement of F-16s from the US, and work on the details is ongoing between respective delegations, the Turkish National Defence Ministry sources said.

The Ministry sources answered journalists' questions following a weekly press briefing held in Ankara by the ministry spokesman Zeki Akturk, Anadolu Agency reports.

#SONDAKİKA | Türkiye’nin F-16 Blok 70 tedarikinde sözleşme imzalandı.

Milli Savunma Bakanlığı kaynakları:

“Sözleşmeler imzalanmıştır, detayları üzerindeki çalışmalar karışlıklı heyetler arasında görüşmeler vasıtasıyla sürdürülmektedir.

Detaylar üzerinde verilecek kararlar… pic.twitter.com/gDvI4ZcMg9

— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) June 13, 2024

About the procurement of F-16s from the US, the sources said: "The contracts have been signed, and work on the details is ongoing through discussions between the respective delegations. Details will be shared with the public after decisions are made."

The sources also answered the question regarding the so-called local elections that the PKK/PYD/YPG/SDF terrorist organization planned to hold in northern Syria but have been postponed.

"Previously, our president (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) and our national defense minister (Yasar Guler) made necessary warnings that these elections should not be held. We warned that these so-called elections should be completely canceled rather than postponed, the sources said.

"These so-called elections planned by the terrorist organization are contrary to the UN Security Council's Resolution 2254 and the territorial integrity of Syria. We reiterate our warning that they should be completely canceled, not postponed," they added.