Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday said issues over the F-35 fighter jet program will be the main topic at his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.

Erdoğan said the meeting, earlier expected to take place in Rome on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, will be held in Glasgow during the U.N. climate conference (COP26), which will start on October 31.

Turkey, a manufacturer and buyer of the F-35s, was expelled from the program over its purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense systems. It says its removal is unjust and has demanded reimbursement for a $1.4-billion investment in the program.

Erdoğan has said Washington offered Ankara a package of F-16 jets and modernization kits in exchange for the payment, Anadolu Agency reported.

"The information we received is that there is a payment plan of some sort with them," Erdoğan was cited as telling reporters on a flight from Azerbaijan. "Whether this is true or not, we will find out from them. It will be good for me to discuss this with Mr. Biden at the highest level. If so, we will go for a deal in that regard."

27.10.2021 12:52