Biden showed 'positive attitude' regarding F-16 jets: Erdoğan

The Biden administration is positive on Turkey's request to buy 40 F-16 warplanes after it was excluded from the F-35 joint fighter jet program, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, informing the process will be followed by the defense ministers of the two allied nations. 

"While I have observed a positive attitude from Mr. [President Joe] Biden on this issue [the sale of F-16s], another aspect of the issue is the House of Representatives and the Senate. I have told him that we are expecting his attention on this matter as he has weight on both the House of Representatives and the Senate," Erdoğan told a press conference after the G20 Summit in Rome late Oct. 31. 

Erdoğan held around one-hour meeting with Biden on the sidelines of the summit to discuss a wide range of issues, including Turkey's recent request of purchasing 40 F-16 warplanes and 80 modernization kits for its existing fleets. Turkey officially made the request in a bid to keep its air forces intact after it was excluded from the F-35 joint fighter jet program due to its deployment of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems. 
Erdoğan recalled that Turkey paid $1.4 billion to the F-35 program and said he discussed with Biden how to move forward on the defense industry cooperation. "The issue of modernizing the F-16s we have or giving new F-16s came to the fore [during the meeting with Biden]. Our defense ministers are following the process," he said. 

A White House statement released after the meeting said, "President Biden reaffirmed our defense partnership and Turkey's importance as a NATO Ally, but noted U.S. concerns over Turkey's possession of the Russian S-400 missile system." 

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