Turkiye ready to buy $20bn in ammunition, parts from US if S-400 sanctions are lifted, FM says

Turkiye is willing to purchase ammunition, electronics, and spare parts worth billions of dollars from the United States if Washington lifts sanctions over Ankara’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defence system.

In an interview with CNN this week, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan revealed that his government is seeking a sizable supply of ammunition and parts for its military forces from the US under president Donald Trump’s administration.

“There are approximately $20 billion worth of spare parts that our Presidency of Defence Industries and Turkish companies wish to procure from the United States”, Fidan said.  “This is a major package, and we believe it’s something Trump would support”.

Such a purchase, however, would be in return for the US’s lifting of sanctions imposed on Turkiye back in 2019 over the country’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile air defence system. Part of that process would be the restoration of Turkish defence firms’ access to the F-35 fighter jet programme, which Turkiye was kicked out of as a result of those sanctions.

“Legal experts are working on this issue”, Fidan stated. Saying that the consultations already began with the former Biden administration, the Turkish foreign minister stressed that his government hopes to reclaim six F-35 fighter jets that were initially built for the Turkish Air Force.

The top Turkish diplomat’s comments come at a time when Ankara is attempting to restore, rebuild, and strengthen its diplomatic and defence ties with Washington after a tumultuous decade.

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