Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said that the United States has proposed the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara in return for its investment in the F-35 programme.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara before departing for a trip to West Africa, he said Turkey wants a return for its investment of one point four  billion dollars in the F-35 programme and negotiations are ongoing on. 

Turkey had ordered more than 100 F-35 jets, but the U.S. removed Ankara from the programme in 2019 after it acquired Russian S-400 missile defence systems.