Turkey is not officially excluded from the fifth-generation F-35 fighter-bombers program, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu.

According to him, the official exclusion of Turkey from the F-35 program is out of the question.

In September 2017, Russia announced a contract for the supply of S-400 concluded with Turkey foe $ 2.5 billion. Ankara will receive a regiment set (two divisions). The contract implies a partial transfer of production technologies to the Turkish side. The first deliveries began on July 12th. The US and NATO are actively opposing the acquisition of S-400 by Turkey.

On July 17, a White House spokeswoman in a written statement said that Turkey’s decision to acquire Russian S-400 air defense systems made it impossible for her to continue participating in the fifth-generation F-35 American fighter-bombers program.