Erdogan urges lifting US sanctions to boost defense cooperation
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.
4:03 PM EDT, September 24, 2024
During a meeting with business representatives from both countries in New York, Erdogan emphasized that achieving the trade goals between Turkey and the USA is possible, even though defense cooperation is not fully utilizing 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 $100 billion. In 2023, the trade value between these countries reached $30 billion. Erdogan called for removing unilateral measures, such as additional tariffs on iron, steel, and aluminum, and sanctions resulting from the CAATSA Act.
The United States sanctions Turkey for purchasing the Russian S-400 air defense 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 program.
Modernization and purchase of F-16 fighter jets
The permission to join the F-16 fighter jet program was a beacon of hope for Turkey. President Erdogan expressed hope that the F-16 modernization 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 (1,320 mph), 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 310 miles.
