Turkish Ministry of “Defense” confirms that negotiations on the F-16 aircraft deal are in their final stages

Istanbul, The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that Ankara has signed contracts to purchase F-16 aircraft from the United States of America, while work continues on the details of the deal through negotiations between the currently exchanging delegations. It stated in a statement today, Thursday, that the details of the deal and the decisions that will be taken will be announced later, after the end of the negotiations related to it. Regarding the developments in the work to form a joint operations center with Iraq, the Ministry indicated that Turkey continues to "combat terrorism successfully on the ground, and is working positively and in coordination in this regard with the Iraqi authorities and the regional administration," explaining that the technical work to form the joint operations center between the two countries will be completed without obstacles. In the context of continuing the war on terrorism, the Ministry of Defense said that Turkey will continue operations to combat terrorist threats targeting its territory, to protect its borders and prevent the establishment of a terrorist corridor in northern Syria, stressing that these operations "contributed significantly to preserving the unity of Syrian territory." The Turkish Defense Ministry stressed in its statement its keenness to restore political stability there and ensure the reassurance of the Syrian people, noting that Turkish President Erdogan has shown his readiness for dialogue with the Syrian regime. In another context, the Ministry's sources commented on the visit of a ministerial delegation to Niger, saying: "Defense Minister Yasar Guler discussed with his counterparts the possible steps to enhance cooperation in the field of defense and military education, and the possibilities of enhancing cooperation with Niger and exchanging views on regional developments were also discussed." Turkish diplomatic sources had announced last Tuesday that the visiting delegation to Niger will discuss with officials there the existing political and economic relations between the two countries, and the steps that must be taken to enhance cooperation between them, in addition to the latest developments in the African Sahel region and developments related to the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. Source: National Iraqi News Agency