No US F35 to Turkey as it buys S-400 from Russia: White House

TIL Desk/World/Washington/ Turkey’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems renders its continued involvement with the F-35 fighter jets impossible, the White House said on Wednesday, in a move that could have implications on defense ties between India and the United States.

The White House announcement came a day after President Donald Trump announced that the US would not sell the F-35 fighter jets to Turkey after Ankara purchased the S-400 missile defense system from sanctions-hit Russia.

Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), received the first batch of the Russian missile defense system last Friday despite repeated warnings from the US against the purchase.

“Unfortunately, Turkey’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems renders its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible. The F-35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities,” White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.