Erdogan urges end to US sanctions for Turkey's fighter jet ambitions
Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has called for the removal of American sanctions that block Ankara from acquiring certain types of weaponry. Turkey is interested in purchasing F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, among other things.
During a meeting with business representatives from both countries in New York, Erdogan emphasised that achieving the trade goals between Turkey and the USA is possible, even though defence cooperation is not fully utilising its potential due to existing restrictions.
Sanctions imposed by the USA on Turkey
The long-term trade goal in relations between the United States and Turkey is €98 billion. In 2023, the trade value between these countries reached €29.5 billion. Erdogan called for removing unilateral measures, such as additional tariffs on iron, steel, and aluminium and sanctions resulting from the CAATSA Act.
The United States sanctions Turkey for purchasing the Russian S-400 air defence system. It also decided to sanction several Turkish entities for violating sanctions imposed on Russia. However, according to Greek media reports, the issue of the controversial S-400 might be resolved, allowing Turkey to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet programme.
Modernisation and purchase of F-16 fighter jets
The permission to join the F-16 fighter jet programme was a beacon of hope for Turkey. President Erdogan expressed hope that the F-16 modernisation project would open a new chapter in cooperation between the two countries.
Interest in Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets
Turkey is also interested in purchasing Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain. However, it expresses dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in this matter, which, according to Turkey, is due to Berlin's caution. During the meeting in New York with the German Chancellor, Erdogan declared Turkey's readiness to strengthen cooperation with Germany in various fields.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a fighter jet that took its first flight in 1994. It can achieve a maximum speed of Mach 2 (2,124 kph), and one of its distinctive features is its supercruise capability, which means it can maintain supersonic speed (approximately Mach 1.3) without afterburner.
The Eurofighter Typhoon's standard armament includes a 27mm cannon. However, it is also equipped to carry an additional arsenal, such as air-to-air missiles (including the AIM-9 Sidewinder), anti-ship missiles (e.g., AGM-84 Harpoon), bombs, and even cruise missiles like the Storm Shadow and Taurus with a range of more than 500 km.
