Russia offers to sell fighter jets to Turkey

MOSCOW – A top Russian official says Moscow is ready to sell fighter jets to Turkey after the United States excluded Turkey from its fighter jet program.

Sergei Chemezov, head of Russia’s state-controlled Rostech corporation, said in a statement Thursday that Moscow would be willing to sell its Su-35 fighter jets to Turkey if Ankara “expresses interest.”

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Wednesday that Turkey was being kicked out of the F-35 program because it was buying the Russian S-400 air defence systems. The U.S. said that Russian system would compromise the American fighter jet program.

Turkey began taking delivery of components of the S-400 last week in defiance of U.S. objections.