Turkey to buy F-35 fighter jets from US

ISTANBUL - Turkey will purchase two F-35 fighter jets and 15 helicopters from the United States, Defense Industry Implementation Committee (SSIK) said Thursday.

The committee said that it authorized the Defense Ministry Undersecretariat to order the purchase of two F-35 fighter jets for the Turkish Armed Forces. The fighter jets will be delivered to Turkey in 2015, the committee added.

The committee said it would also start contract talks with Bell Helicopter Textron for the purchase of 15 helicopters for the country's police force.

The purchase comes as part of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program, an internationally oriented program consisting of partnerships with a number of countries.

Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding on Turkey's involvement in the production process of new generation F-35 warplanes in 2007. The decision to buy the new generation fighter planes came at a time when numerous other countries, including Denmark, Holland and Canada, have suspended their orders.