Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu participated in the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting held for the first time via video teleconference on 2 April 2020.
Turkey on Tuesday repeated an offer to the U.S. to establish a technical working group, including NATO, to help solve a dispute over Ankara’s purchase of a Russian missile defense system.
“We offer the U.S. to establish a technical working group with NATO’s inclusion, and NATO can lead this technical working group actually. This offer is still on the table,” Çavuşoğlu said.
Ties between the NATO allies were badly strained last year over Turkey’s acquisition of the advanced S-400 Russian air defense system, prompting Washington to remove Turkey from its F-35 Lightning II jet program in July.
Turkey’s acquisition of the advanced S-400 Russian air defense system, prompting Washington to remove Turkey from its F-35 Lightning II jet program in July.
Çavuşoğlu added that Turkey was still willing to purchase Patriot batteries if the U.S. had a good offer.
Turkey has said it will only agree to an offer if it includes a technology transfer and joint production terms.
Ankara has repeatedly stressed it was the U.S.’ refusal to sell it Patriots that led it to seek out other sellers, adding that Russia offered it a better deal, including technology transfers. Turkey even proposed setting up a commission to clarify any technical issues, but the U.S. has so far not responded to this proposal.
Source: Daily Sabah
