Turkey hopeful on $1.4 billion reimbursement from US for F-35 deals

Ezgi Akin

US Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Rey White, an aviation boatswains mate handler with the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), launches an F-35B Lightning II with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), from the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), before the F-35B's first combat strike, Sept. 27, 2018. — Cpl. Francisco J. Diaz Jr./U.S. Marine Corps via Getty Images

ANKARA — Turkey is hopeful that it will receive reimbursement from the United States for the $1.4 billion it paid to buy F-35 fighter jets before being removed from the stealth fighter jet program, a senior Turkish official said on Thursday.

“We believe we can get back the money we paid for the F-35s,” the high-level Turkish Defense Ministry official told reporters in Ankara.

The remarks echoed a similarly optimistic message given by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler earlier this week. Guler also said Ankara and Washington were in talks over the issue.

Turkey has been pressing its long-held demand to recoup the payment since 2019 when it was blocked from buying F-35 fighter jets. Ten Turkish companies were also removed from the consortium that manufactures the new-generation stealth jets over Turkey’s purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.

Turkey hopeful on $1.4 billion reimbursement from US for F-35 deals

Turkey can get its money back, Turkish defense officials say, as ties with Washington strengthen following Sweden’s admission to NATO and Ankara’s F-16 purchase.

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