US delegation flounces threat to Turkey about F-35s and S-400s

A delegation from the U.S. Congress met with officials from Turkey’s Foreign Affairs and Defense ministries. The delegation from Washington is headed by Michael R. Turner, while the Turkish delegation is headed by Osman Aşkın Bak.

The officials discussed Turkey’s purchase of the U.S.-made F-35 jets and the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

The U.S. delegation indicated that if Turkey backed down from its deal to purchase the Russian S-400s then it would remove obstacles preventing Ankara’s purchase of the F-35s.

The U.S. House and Senate of Congress in late July agreed to bar the delivery of any F-35s to Turkey until the Pentagon delivers a plan evaluating the ramifications of axing Turkey from the program, and the state of Washington-Ankara ties.

Russia will begin delivering its advanced S-400 missile defense system to Turkey in 2019, Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Tuesday.

The Turkish delegation asked that the negative stance of U.S. Congress toward Ankara be remedied, adding that Washington was not doing enough in the struggle against the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) and that the two countries needed to boost cooperation.

Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül for not releasing American Pastor Andrew Brunson.

The sanctions were followed by U.S President Donald Trump increasing tariffs on Turkish imports, which Turkey responded to by imposing customs duties on several U.S.-origin products, including alcohol and tobacco products and cars.