Turkey pleased with F-16 jets deal with US, defense minister tells Reuters

Turkey is pleased with its deal with the United States regarding the procurement of Block-70 F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits, and the process is continuing as planned, Defense Minister Yasar Guler said.

"We hope the project will be completed without any problems until the last jet is delivered," Guler said in written responses to Reuters questions, adding that officials from the two NATO allies are still discussing details of the deal.

Guler also said Turkey and Syria could meet at the ministerial level as part of efforts to normalize ties if suitable conditions are created.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said last month he would be inviting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to discuss normalizing ties, which Ankara severed after the 2011 Syrian war. But, Assad has said such talks could only happen if the neighbors focus on core issues, including the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the north of Syria.

Furthermore, the defense minister stated that Turkey wants to improve its ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), but its priority is fulfilling its responsibilities to NATO as an important ally.

"Our priority is to fulfill our responsibilities to NATO as an important ally and to strengthen the solidarity with our allies. Our focus should be that NATO is prepared, determined, and strong," Guler told Reuters.

The SCO is a security, political, and economic club launched in 2001 by Russia, China, and Central Asian states as a counterweight to Western alliances.

Reuters