Ankara: Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) denied media reports that Ankara was considering transferring the Russian S-400 air defense system to the United Arab Emirates as a condition for rejoining the US F-35 fighter jet program. AKP Deputy Chairman Hasan Basri Yal§in clarified, "I have maintained this position for many years, specifically since Turkey purchased the S-400 system. This issue has absolutely no connection whatsoever to the F-35 fighter jet program," aiming to preempt any attempts to link the two matters.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Yal§in criticized the previous technical arguments Washington promoted to prevent Turkey from acquiring the aircraft, recalling the pretext that the presence of the S-400 system in Turkey could expose the security and technical vulnerabilities of the F-35 fighters. He emphasized that everyone is now fully aware of the falsity and lack of realism of this argument, considering its revival merely an attempt to resurrect the same old pretexts without any genuine technical or security justification.
Yal§in pointed out that the S-400 and F-35 issue is not one that can be resolved overnight, and that if the issue of selling the Russian system to another country is officially raised in the future, it will require initiating a complex negotiation process in which the purchasing country participates as a key party alongside Russia as the manufacturer. Such a step cannot be taken without the consent of all concerned parties.
The deputy chairman of the Justice and Development Party stressed the futility of engaging in major political and strategic discussions based solely on rumors and journalistic speculation, calling for a serious and transparent approach to sovereign matters, free from irresponsible speculation.
It is worth noting that Turkey was excluded from the American F-35 fighter jet program in 2017 after acquiring the Russian S-400 air defense system. Washington justified its decision by stating that the presence of the Russian system alongside NATO defense systems could create a technical and security conflict.