Turkey and Russia have begun consultations for the possible purchase of Russian-made Su-35 or Su-57 fighter jets to Turkey, pro-government Hürriyet said on Friday, citing anonymous Russian diplomatic sources.
Turkey has not yet made any official move to acquire the Russian fighter jets and it is early to talk about contract negotiations, Hürriyet said, adding that two countries have been discussing the matter.
On Thursday, Turkish daily HaberTürk reported that the Turkish President of Defence Industries İsmail Demir had stayed behind in Russia to discuss buying the jets after a visit by the Turkish president in August.
Turkish media earlier reported that Ankara was considering Russian fighter jets after tensions with the planned purchase of Russian S-400 air missile systems raised tensions with the United States.
The Pentagon removed Turkey from the joint production program of new-generation F-35 jets and the United States has halted the delivery following the delivery of S-400s.
Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet is equipped with an advanced avionics system and a variety of high-precision weaponry, and it is seen as a direct competitor of the F-35 jets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the MAKS air show on August 27, where Erdoğan examined both Su-35 and Su-57 warplanes.
