Türkiye on Tuesday announced it had scaled down its planned $23 billion acquisition of an F-16 fighter jet package from the United States, scrapping the purchase of 79 modernization kits for its existing fleet.
NATO member Türkiye earlier this year secured a deal to procure 40 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernization kits for its existing F-16s from the U.S. after a long-delayed process.
"An initial payment has been made for the procurement of F-16 Block-70. A payment of $1.4 billion has been made. With this, we will buy 40 F-16 Block-70 Viper, and we were going to buy 79 modernization kits," Defense Minister Yaşar Güler told a parliamentary hearing.
"We gave up on this 79. This is why we gave up: Our Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) facilities are capable of carrying out this modernization on their own, so we deferred to them," he said.
The sale of the 40 new Lockheed Martin F-16 jets and ammunition for them will cost Türkiye some $7 billion, Güler added.
Türkiye placed its order in October 2021, two years after the U.S. sanctioned and removed it from the multinational fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet program over its acquisition of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia.
Türkiye wants to re-join the F-35 program and buy 40 new F-35 jets, Güler also said.
He suggested that the U.S. revised its position on the sale of F-35s to Türkiye after witnessing its progress with its domestically developed combat aircraft, Kaan.
"When the Americans saw that we could build and fly the Kaan, they changed their minds a bit about the F-35," Güler said.
"Now, they are expressing willingness to provide F-35s. However, no progress has been made. We insist on reclaiming our production share and maintain our request to acquire F-35s," he added.
Kaan completed its maiden flight in late February, while its mass production is expected to start in 2028.
Türkiye had sought to purchase as many as 100 F-35 jets, and its companies were building some 900 fighter jet parts.
Güler repeated Ankara's view that Türkiye had to purchase two battalions of the Russian surface-to-air missile system after no other country with such systems, including the U.S., responded positively to Ankara's requests.
Washington argued that the S-400s posed a risk to F-35s, whereas Ankara insisted they would not be integrated into NATO systems.
Güler confirmed that the S-400 systems are deployment-ready and could be operational within 12 hours if needed. He said Türkiye would only use it in case of a "very high level of danger."
Ankara has repeatedly demanded reimbursement for its payment for the F-35s before requesting to buy F-16 warplanes.
Güler highlighted Ankara's efforts to modernize the Air Forces Command until the light combat aircraft Hürjet and the fifth-generation stealthy jet fighter Kaan are operational.
Türkiye is one of the largest operators of F-16s, with its fleet made up of more than 200 older Block 30, 40 and 50 models.
Ankara is also interested in buying dozens of the twin-engine, supersonic Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain.
Güler noted that Germany has issued the necessary permissions and procurement discussions continue.
