Turkey wants to buy new generation F-35 fighter jets from the US in order to gain superiority over the Greek air force, informed sources said, Cumhuriyet daily reports.

During the negotiations to return to the F-35 delivery program, Ankara told Washington that it will not activate the Russian S-400 air defense systems—which Turkey bought from Russia for $2.5 billion, but they were never used and are kept in Turkish warehouses until now—for the sake of acquiring military aircraft.

A high-ranking official of the US embassy in Ankara did not deny this report. Now the ball is in Turkey's court, and it is well aware of the requirements for the purchase of the F-35s, the official said.