Turkey tanggal na sa F-35 fighter jets programme ng US

Tahimik pa rin ang panig ng Turkey matapos magdesisyon ng United States na tuluyang tanggalin ang naturang bansa mula sa kanilang F-35 fighter jets programme.

Ito ay matapos matanggap ng Ankara ang ilan sa mga unang parte ng kanilang Russian missile defence system na pinadala ng Russia patungong Turkey noong nakaraang linggo.

Sa inilabas na opisyal na pahayag ng Estados Unidos, hindi raw maaaring sabay na mag exist ang F-35 kasama ang nasabing Russian intelligence collection platform.

Ayon pa kay White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham, ang naging desisyon umano ng Turkey na bilihin ang Russian S-400 defence systems ang nagdala bingit ng pagtatapos ng kaugnayan nito sa F335 fighter jets programme.

“The United States has been actively working with Turkey to provide air defence solutions to meet its legitimate air defence needs, and this administration has made multiple offers to move Turkey to the front of the line to receive the US Patriot air defence system. Turkey has been a longstanding and trusted partner and Nato ally for over 65 years, but accepting the S-400 undermines the commitments all Nato allies made to each other to move away from Russian systems,” nakasaad sa naturang pahayag.

Ngunit ayon kay Grisham, pinapahalagahan pa rin daw ng United States ang strategic relationship nito kasama ang Turkey.

“As Nato allies, our relationship is multi-layered, and not solely focused on the F-35,” ani Grisham.