Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey intends to seek compensation for removal from the US-led F-35 fighter jet program, possibly during a meeting with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of next month's G-20 meeting.
Speaking to reporters during a flight back from a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Erdogan said there would be no "withdrawal" from the agreement with Russia to purchase advanced S-400 missile systems.
This deal takes Turkey and NATO out of the equation for the international F-35 fighter jet program.
Erdogan noted that he hopes to meet with Biden at the G-20 meeting in Rome to discuss the F-35 project, including $ 1.4 billion paid by Turkey before being removed from the program. Erdogan added that another meeting between Turkish and US leaders could also take place on the sidelines of the November climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
"We already paid $ 1.4 billion, what can they do? We did come by that money easily. Either they will give us our fighter jets, or they will have to give us our money back," Erdogan continued.
When asked about Turkey's plans to purchase more S-400 systems despite threats of further sanctions by the US, Erdogan replied: "The S-400 assimilation operation in the Turkish army continues. There is no going back." His comments were reported by the Turkish private news channel NTV and other media outlets.
Turkey has been ousted from the F-35 parts production program and sanctions have been imposed on officials in its Ministry of Defense after the country purchased the S-400 missile defense system made in Russia two years ago. The United States strongly opposes the use of NATO members in the Russian system, saying it poses a security threat to the F-35.