At one time, the USA offered Turkey to transfer modern S-400 air defense systems purchased from Russia to Ukraine. But the Turkish authorities refused.
This was stated by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, writes Anadolu.
The US offered Turkey either to hand over the S-400 under US control, or to give it to another country, such as Ukraine.
Çavuşoğlu noted that Turkey refused such proposals because they are aimed at "suppressing sovereignty."
Turkey faced obstacles when buying air defense systems from the United States, and therefore in 2017 signed a contract with Russia for the supply of the S-400. Because of this, Turkey was excluded from the program of development and acquisition of modern Western F-35 fighters. Çavuşoğlu says that now Turkey does not want to return to the program, but demands that the money be returned to it, since it never received the planes.
At the same time, Turkey sent a request to the USA for the purchase of F-16 aircraft, as well as spare parts. The agreement provides for the purchase of 40 new and modernization of 79 old aircraft owned by the Turkish Air Force.