PodcastTurkey not to get F-35 fighter jets, says Pentagon chief
The United States will not deliver F-35 fighter jets to Turkey due to the latter's decision to purchase the Russian-made S-400 missile systems, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has said. “They have accepted the S-400s which means they won’t receive the F-35s,” Esper told reporters at the Pentagon on Dec. 20.
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has said that the United States will not allow Turkey to get its F-35 fifth generation fighter planes since it has chosen to hang on to the Russian S-400 missile defense systems.
“They have accepted the S-400s which means they won’t receive the F-35s,” Esper was quoted as saying by Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency. Esper made the remarks while addressing reporters at the Pentagon on Dec. 20.
Asked to comment on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent threat to close the İncirlik Air Force Base to U.S. forces if Washington moves forward with Syria- and S-400-related sanctions, Esper said: “I need to follow up on to make sure I understand what’s driving that and how serious they are. It is our opinion that we need to bind them closer to the NATO alliance. Because they have a capable military and they are our allies for years.”
Erdoğan on Dec. 15 said that Ankara may close the İncirlik Air Base where U.S. soldiers are stationed "if necessary." "If necessary, we will hold discussions with all our delegations, and if necessary, we may close İncirlik [air base in southern Adana province] and Kürecik [radar station in eastern Malatya province]," Erdoğan said in a televised interview.
Esper also commented on the U.S.’s continued presence in Syria’s oil-producing regions, saying he couldn’t give an estimate on when the U.S. might withdraw its roughly 600 troops from the war-torn country.
“That’s a crystal ball that I don’t have. I think we’re there as long as we can ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS,” he said.