Turkey demands F-35 jets and Patriot missile system to US for providing S

Ankara: The West must accept Turkey’s demand unconditionally if they expect it to provide S-400 to Ukraine to counter Russian airstrikes. Firstly, Turkey has demanded that the United States offer F-35 advanced fighter jets and a Patriot missile system. At the same time, Turkey has warned that the West is wholly responsible for improving mutual relations. Turkey demanded this to the United States before the meeting organised by NATO, given the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On Thursday, an impromptu NATO meeting took place in Brussels. On this occasion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appealed about the significance of holding negotiations to cease the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He also reiterated that the European nations must rethink Turkey’s membership. Before this meeting, Fahrettin Altun, the senior advisor of Turkish President Erdogan, mentioned Turkish demands in an article he wrote for a US daily. Altun has cited in his article that the European nations must treat Turkey as one of them and include it in the European Union. Besides, a few days ago, President Erdogan’s advisor also expressed his nation’s stance over the instructions of the United States to Turkey.

Moreover, Altun has stated in his article that the Western countries should send F-35 fighter jets and Patriot System to Turkey without any conditions. But he has not specified whether Turkey would supply the S-400 to Ukraine in the wake of military cooperation from the US. Altun said Turkey has supplied air safety equipment to Ukraine as demanded by the US, but it cannot provide the S-400.

Last month, Wendy Sherman, US Deputy Secretary of State, made a special visit to Turkey. During that, she proposed to Turkey to provide military assistance to Ukraine. Sherman suggested that Turkey supply the S-400, which it had purchased from Russia to protect Ukraine.

The Biden administration has urged the countries which purchased weapons from Russia to supply them to Ukraine during this wartime. Primarily, the Biden administration had said that the S-300 and S-400 air defence systems would be useful for the Ukrainian army in its conflict against Russia. But, Turkey’s response on that was expected.

As a member of NATO, Turkey is bound to accept this suggestion of the United States. But it is well aware that if it provides Ukrainian an S-400 or military aid of any form to Ukraine, that can directly impact its relations with Russia. Therefore, it has asked the US for F-35 jets and the Patriot missile system but has not accepted a clear stand whether it would supply the S-400 to Ukraine.