ANKARA — Lingering uncertainty over Turkey’s prospects of acquiring Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, coupled with Ankara’s need to modernize its aging combat aircraft fleet, likely drove its decision to resume talks with Washington over the purchase of additional F-16 aircraft.
With Turkey’s aging F-4E Phantoms nearing retirement and its F-16 fleet growing older, Ankara faces a potential capability gap before its next-generation indigenous fighter, the KAAN, becomes fully operational.
The new US-made F-16 Block 70s could provide a ready-made bridge through that transition, as Turkey’s access to F-35 aircraft remains uncertain, and its first Eurofighters are not expected before 2030.
Turkish and US air force officials held talks at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Sept. 17-18, according to Turkey’s Defense Ministry.