The United States began the process of removing Turkey from its F-35 program following Turkey began taking delivery of its S-400 missile defense systems.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced the decision to suspend Turkey's participation in the F-35 fighter jets program while allowing Turkish pilots and technical personnel with F-35 training stay at U.S. bases until July 31 and leave the country.

Some 43 Turkish personnel, 6 of them are pilots, had been training for some time at Luke Air Base in Arizona and Eglin Air Base in Florida.

Under normal circumstances, F-35 training of Turkish pilots and technical personnel was planned to last until 2020 and more than 300 personnel would be trained in this context.

Turkey, one of the F-35 program's producing partners, purchased four previously F-35 fighter jets are staying at Luke Air Base in Arizona.

ILKHA