Turkey may acquire Russian Su-35 and Su-57 fighters, but the priority is to develop our own fifth generation aircraft. This was stated by the Minister of Industry and Technologies of the Republic, Mustafa Varank.
Answering the question about the possibility of purchasing Russian fighters, the minister explained, that Ankara does not exclude the purchase of the fourth generation Su-35 and the fifth generation Su-57, this option is being considered. Turkey is also considering options for the acquisition of aircraft from other countries.. However, the priority remains the creation of our own fifth generation fighter..
If Russia has a plane, meeting our current needs, if there are no difficulties with its implementation in our system and its launch, the, of course, we can buy it from Russia or from another country in Europe. In this sense, we do not have any categorical antagonistic position.
– quotes RIA Novosti the words of Varanka.
According to the minister, the issue of buying Russian aircraft was repeatedly raised at the meetings of the leaders of Russia and Turkey, the parties have already discussed this issue. When, if Turkey fails to implement its own fifth generation fighter program, it will consider Russian fighters.
Of course, our priority is primarily the development of Turkey's own capabilities in the development of fifth generation fighters. But if Russia has a plane, which meets our needs and objectives, Turkey will acquire it
– he added.
At the end of last summer, Ankara announced the acceleration of work on its own fifth generation fighter. Promising Turkish fighter TF-X (MMU) jointly developed by the Turkish aircraft corporation Turkish Aerospace Industries (OR) in cooperation with BAE Systems Corporation. The first flight of the first TF-X prototype is scheduled for 2023 year. The design of the TF-X is reminiscent of American fifth-generation fighters., it is smaller, than the F-22, but a little more, than the F-35.
