{"id":24539,"date":"2019-06-11T18:21:27","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T15:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onisilos.gr\/?p=24539"},"modified":"2019-06-11T18:21:27","modified_gmt":"2019-06-11T15:21:27","slug":"u-s-stops-training-of-turkish-f-35-pilots-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onisilos.gr\/?p=24539","title":{"rendered":"U.S. STOPS TRAINING OF TURKISH F-35 PILOTS: REPORT"},"content":{"rendered":"

11\/6\/2019<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The US Department of Defense stopped training flights on the F-35 for Turkish pilots at the US air base in Arizona<\/b>, Reuters reported on June 11th.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe department is aware that the Turkish pilots at Luke AFB are not flying,\u201d Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Mike Andrews, a Pentagon spokesman, told Reuters. \u201cWithout a change in Turkish policy, we will continue to work closely with our Turkish ally on winding down their participation in the F-35 program.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The policy in question is Turkey\u2019s purchase of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia and it sending personnel to be trained on using it.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to an unnamed US official, a local commander at the Luke airbase decided to halt training for the Turkish pilots.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to media reports<\/a>, on June 6th, US Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan sent a letter to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar saying that all Turkish pilots in the program must leave the U.S. by July 31 and training for new pilots will be suspended.<\/span><\/p>\n

The U.S. has already suspended deliveries of parts and services related to Turkey\u2019s receipt of the fighter jets.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou still have the option to change course on the S-400,\u201d Shanahan said in the letter.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are currently 42 Turkish military personnel training at Luke and Eglin \u2014 four pilots, and the rest maintainers. The July 31 deadline would allow 28 of them to complete their training, but the remainder would be sent home before their training naturally concluded, according to information attached to Shanahan\u2019s letter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turkish Defense Ministry released a statement in response to Shanahan\u2019s letter on June 8.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA letter was sent by US Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. Covering defense and security issues between the two countries, the letter expresses the expectation of finding a solution to the existing problems within the framework of strategic partnership and maintaining the comprehensive security cooperation and emphasizes the importance of continuing negotiations,\u201d the statement said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The US wants Turkey to purchase the Patriot missile system rather than the S-400, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the US hasn\u2019t given Turkey an \u201coffer as good as the S-400s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In an off-camera press briefing on June 7th, officials from the US Department of Defense spoke about the Turkey S-400 issue.<\/a> Under Secretary of Defense Ellen Lord and Andy Winternitz, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO spoke to reporters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ellen Lord had the following to say:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe United States greatly values the U.S.-Turkey dialogue and our strategic partnership.\u00a0 However, the United States was disappointed to learn that Turkey sent personnel to Russia for training on the S-400 system.\u00a0 The S-400 is incompatible with the F-35.\u00a0 As we have very clearly communicated at all levels, Turkey will not receive the F-35 if Turkey takes delivery of the S-400 system.\u00a0 Thus, we need to begin unwinding Turkey\u2019s participation in the F-35 program.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The winding down would happen in an orderly manner, so as not to cause any heavy disruptions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo facilitate an orderly cessation of Turkish participation in the programmatic management activities of the F-35 program, Turkey will not participate in the annual F-35 Chief Executive Officer Roundtable on June 12th, and planned updates to the program\u2019s governing documents will proceed without Turkey\u2019s participation.\u00a0 If the United States and Turkey cannot reach a mutually-agreeable resolution to this issue by July 31, all Turkish F-35 students and instructor pilots currently in the United States will be required to depart the country.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Andy Winternitz, July 31st was not the date when the entire F-35 program would end for Turkey, but rather when it would start unwinding.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut obviously, the United States greatly values the U.S.-Turkey relationship.\u00a0 It\u2019s a strategic relationship.\u00a0 They are our ally, and our relationship is multi-layered.\u00a0 We\u2019re doing a lot of things with Turkey across the \u2014 the entire spectrum of our \u2014 of our security relationship, and \u2014 and that\u2019s \u2014 and that will not end at all.\u00a0 That won\u2019t be influenced, we hope, by what\u2019s going on right now with the S-400 and the F-35.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Reporters also asked who Turkey would feel threatened by when it\u2019s a part of NATO and its principle enemy was the Soviet Union and now Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cQUESTION:<\/span><\/p>\n

My question is, in all the discussions with the Turks over the S-400s and their needs, their anti-missile defense needs, have the Turks ever identified or suggested who they feel the threat is likely to come from?\u00a0 I ask this because NATO is designed, of course, to combat the Soviet Union and Russia.\u00a0 And so to \u2014 to me, it\u2019s \u2014 it seems a little puzzling that the \u2014 the logical threat to them would come from Russia or an ally of Russia, yet they\u2019re relying on a Russian system.\u00a0 Have you ever talked about who they thought the threat was going to come from?<\/span><\/p>\n

Winternitz:\u00a0 Well, hey, listen, Turkey\u2019s obviously in a \u2014 in a very tough neighborhood, and so they \u2014 I think they face threats from a \u2014 from a number of places, and \u2014 but they have \u2014 they\u2019ve identified this as a security need. And we have \u2014 we are willing to discuss with them a solution that does not involve the S-400 as \u2014 as soon as they\u2019re ready to discuss that \u2014 you know, that with us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

source:https:\/\/southfront.org\/u-s-stops-training-of-turkish-f-35-pilots-report\/<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

11\/6\/2019 The US Department of Defense stopped training flights on the F-35 for Turkish pilots at the US air base in Arizona, Reuters reported on June 11th. \u201cThe department is … <\/p>\n

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