Defence minister says Turkey, US to overcome F-35 problem

Turkey expects that disagreements with the United States over production of F-35 jets will be overcome, its defense minister told Reuters, adding that Ankara remained at the center of NATO despite criticism from allies of its incursion into Syria.

Washington began removing Ankara from a joint F-35 production program after Turkey bought and took delivery in July of Russian S-400 missile defense systems.

The United States says the system is not compatible with North Atlantic Treaty Organization defenses, and pose a threat to Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 stealth fighters.

Turkey, which also wanted to buy the jets, has since said it could look elsewhere.

"We hope that we will continue producing them. There are some issues right now, but I believe these issues will be overcome," Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in an interview on Wednesday.

"We are...