The USA has accepted the illegitimacy of its decision! The dialogue begins again for a solution in the F-35 program

[T-SaGe]

ANKARA – Ankara received a letter from Washington, which will begin a dialogue on resolving the problem with the latest F-35 fighters, the supplies of which were frozen by the United States due to Turkey’s acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems, said Ismail Demir, head of Turkey’s defense industry.

“We have already said that no country can be unilaterally excluded from the F-35 program. And the last letter from the United States confirmed that we were right. A dialogue with the United States will begin to find a solution to the problem with the F-35,” Demir said, in the NTV channel.

Reminding the memorandum of understanding signed for the F-35 program, Demir said, "According to this text, the removal of any partner from here can only be unanimous of all partners or withdrawn by its own will." Demir said, "There is no legal basis for the statements that 'I took out Turkey', although none of this happened," he said.

In April, the United States sent an official notification to Turkey about its exclusion from the production program of the latest F-35 fighters due to Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems. The United States canceled a joint memorandum for the production of the F-35, signed by Turkey in January 2007, marking it with the seven remaining partners in the F-35 project: the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, Canada, and Norway.

Earlier, Turkey committed itself to buy 100 F-35 aircraft. It has also been involved in the production of over a thousand components for them. Turkey is currently continuing to manufacture these components, despite being excluded from the project by the United States.

In March, US said that the only way Ankara could resolve its disagreements with Washington was to abandon Russian air defense systems. However, the head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in a conversation with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, said that Turkey’s acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems is finally closed.

Son dakika: ABD, Türkiye'ye yaptığı hukuksuzluğu kabul etti! F-35 programında çözüm için yeniden diyalog başlıyor

Son dakika: ABD'nin Türkiye'yi F-35 programından çıkarmasının hukuki bir zemini olmadığını belirten Savunma Sanayii Başkanı İsmail Demir, ''ABD'nin son mektubu bizi haklı çıkardı'' diyerek F-35'te diyalog sürecinin yeniden başlayacağını söyledi.

www.haberler.com

 

[SgtGungHo]

The title is not only sensationalist, but also misleading. The US hasn't admitted that they are at fault and asked Turkey to re-engage in the negotiation over the F-35 program.

It is just Mr. Demir's insistance that the US has tacitly accepted that Turkey's removal of the program has no legal basis in the letter that the US sent to Turkey in the last month and therefore the US should re-engage in talk with Turkey to supply F-35 as it was promised.

So let's be clear - it is what Demir claims, not what the US has said.

It is not the first time Demir is making this argument either and the exactly same argument is repeated by other Turkish officials.

Here is Demir making the exact same argument in January this year at an interview with TRT World minus the letter (in English).

USA has made it clear that Turkey is not welcome to the F-35 program unless the country gives up on S-400.

 

[patero]

The title is a bit misleading. The US hasn't admitted that they are at fault and asked Turkey to re-engage in the negotiation over the F-35 program.

It is just Mr. Demir's insistance that the US has tacitly accepted that Turkey's removal of the program has no legal basis in the letter that the US sent to Turkey in the last month and therefore the US should re-engage in talk with Turkey to supply F-35 as it was promised.

So let's be clear - it is what Demir claims, not what the US has said.

It is not the first time Demir is making this argument either and the exactly same argument is repeated by other Turkish officials.

Here is Demir making the exact same argument with an interview with TRT World (in English).

USA has made it clear that Turkey is not welcome to the F-35 program unless the country gives up on S-400.

I was about to say the same thing basically. He is misinterpreting which side is referred to in the comment '... the removal of any partner from here can only be unanimous of all partners or withdrawn by its own will'. This would be the US sides will, suppliers are almost always sub-ordinate to the primary manufacturer.

Besides he is reffering to an MOU which are basically non-binding. And the new agreement was signed recently with the 8 partner nations formally excluding Turkey.

 

[waqasmwi]

Turkey will grant US access to S400 and will receive f35.

 

[FuturePAF]

Perhaps after the Turks have tested the S-400 throughly, worked on reverse engineering it, and placed it in some kind of verifiable storage, the matter could be put to rest, allowing Turkey to rejoin the F-35 program.

Should relations sour beyond a point, in the future, Turkey could also way claim to be able to bring the S-400 out of storage. Hopefully, in a few years, the Turkish Long range “Siper” missile can be developed, and the need to ever pull those S-400s out of storage will never be needed.