Turkey looks to US to upgrade its air force after removal from F-35 program, CAATSA sanctions
Reuters reported this week that Turkey made a request to the US to buy 40 Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighter jets and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes, as Turkey looks to modernize its Air Force after it was kicked out of the F-35 program.
The deal, which would be worth billions, would need the approval of both the US State Department as well as Congress, which can block deals. The request comes as Turkey’s President Erdogan recently stated that Turkey is looking to buy a second batch of S-400s from Russia. Expert Aaron Stein joins The Greek Current to discuss this latest request by Turkey, explain why it could be the endpoint of Turkey’s S-400 to F-35 to CAATSA saga, and place it within the broader context of US-Turkish relations.
Aaron Stein is the Director of Research at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) and an expert on Turkey, arms control and nonproliferation. He is also the co-host of Arms Control Wonk, a podcast on nuclear weapons, arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation.
