The United States asked Türkiye to send to Ukraine its Russian-made air missile defense system that triggered a major row with Washington, but Ankara refused the proposal, the country's top diplomat said Sunday.
The decision to acquire the Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft system eventually led to Türkiye being removed from the multinational program developing the fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter jet.
Washington proposed to Türkiye that it gives control of the system to the U.S. or another country, including Ukraine, as it tries to fight off Russian forces, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told an interview with private broadcaster Habertürk.
Çavuşoğlu did not elaborate on when the proposal was made.
"The U.S. asked us to send the S-400s to Ukraine, and we said no," he said, explaining that these proposals were unacceptable as they sought to infringe on Turkish sovereignty.
Turkish officials have repeatedly said that the nation bought the S-400s for national security, and no other country has the right to interfere with this.
In 2017, when its protracted efforts to buy an air defense system from the U.S. proved futile, Türkiye signed a contract with Russia to acquire the S-400 system.
U.S. officials opposed their deployment, claiming the S-400 would be incompatible with NATO systems.
Türkiye, however, stressed that the S-400s would not be integrated into NATO systems and pose no threat to the alliance or its armaments. Ankara has repeatedly proposed a commission to clarify the issue.
Asked about returning to the F-35 program, Çavuşoğlu said Ankara does not want to return to the program but rather wants back from Washington the money it paid for fighter jets before it was out of the program, while its jets were never delivered.
Ankara is now "producing our own national combat aircraft," he explained, adding that Türkiye also wants to improve ties with the U.S. and that the necessary mechanisms have been established.
But Türkiye also wants to buy F-16 jets and modernization kits from the U.S., he added, mentioning how the request is not moving as fast through Washington as it should.
Ankara requested F-16s and modernization kits from the U.S. in October 2021. The deal would include 40 jets and modernization kits for nearly 80 warplanes that the Turkish Air Forces Command already has in its inventory.
