Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, at the Department of State in Washington. (AP Photo/Sait Serkan Gurbuz)
April 10, 2019 - 2:53 AM
ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's foreign minister says his country could look "elsewhere" if the U.S. doesn't deliver F-35 fighter jets.
Mevlut Cavusoglu also said in an interview with private NTV television Tuesday that Turkey could consider acquiring more Russian-made S-400s or other systems to meet urgent needs if it can't purchase U.S. Patriot systems.
Turkey's moves to buy the Russian S-400 technology have heightened tensions with Washington. U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence warned that Turkey was risking its NATO membership and its participation in the F-35 program.
Cavusoglu said: "If F-35s are not delivered, I would be placed in a position to buy the planes I need elsewhere."
He added that a new U.S. offer to sell Patriots was "more rational" than a previous offer, but still didn't meet Turkey's expectations.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019