Turkey’s F-16 deal with Washington hangs in the balance over Ukraine transfer demand, report says

Washington is considering granting approval for the transfer of F-16 upgrade kits and the sale of 40 new F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, conditional on Turkey agreeing to transfer its existing fleet of older F-16s to Ukraine, broadcaster Haberturk has reported.

The Turkish Air Force currently operates F-16 Block-30 aircraft, which are not slated for modernization and are expected to be retired in the coming years. Nonetheless, the Turkish government asserts that the issue of fighter aircraft is not subject to negotiation but rather a rightful entitlement as a member country of NATO. They emphasize that Ankara has already been excluded from the F-35 co-production program, and the potential exclusion from the F-16 program could lead Turkey to explore alternative options.

However, military analysts dismiss the likelihood of Turkey ceeding its fighter jets to Ukraine, as...