The first priority of the Turkish government is to include a new generation of F-35 fighters in the development program, said Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Last week, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the F-35 fighters already paid for by Turkey should be delivered, otherwise the United States should return the paid $ 1.4 billion, or provide another option, Ahval reports

Kalin said that the technical committees of both countries have begun negotiations to modernize Turkey's existing F-16 fleet. He denied rumors that the Russian S-400 missile defense systems, which initially triggered the US crisis, have been moved to Incirlik airbase in southeastern Turkey, where US troops are stationed.

The United States excluded Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara acquired the S-400, and then imposed sanctions on the country's defense industry. Washington argues that the S-400s are incompatible with NATO architecture and pose a security threat.