Pentagon officials have said that Turkish pilots training in the United States on the F-35 will be expelled, and agreements with Turkish firms subcontracted for manufacturing the F-35 stealth warplane will be canceled if Ankara does not abandon its purchase of the S-400 Russian missile defense system.
In a sharp two-page letter, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the training of Turkish pilots will end July 31 and Turkey would not be allowed to take final possession of the four F-35 aircraft it bought. Shanahan also warned that Ankara's purchase of the Russian system could hamper America's future relationship with Turkey.
“While we seek to maintain our valued partnership, Turkey will not receive the F-35 if Turkey takes delivery of the S-400,” he said.
The United States in June 2018 "delivered" four of the F-35s to Turkey but kept the planes in the United States, officially to train the Turkish pilots.
Akar told reporters late last month that Turkish military personnel are already receiving training on the S-400 and that Ankara was "making preparations" and "considering all options" against possible US sanctions on Turkey over the purchase.
“There are no measures which can mitigate our concerns” over the impending S-400 deal, Andrew Winternitz, the Pentagon’s acting assistant secretary for NATO policy, said on Thursday at a US Institute for Peace conference on the European Union.
Tensions have been on the rise in recent years between the United States and Turkey over the S-400 deal.
