Putin, Erdogan examine Russia’s cutting-edge Su-57 fighter
ZHUKOVSKY, Aug 28, 2019, TASS. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could see an advanced Russian fighter Su-57 that was showcased at the MAKS 2019 air show, reported the TASS.
The two state leaders mounted the airplane ladder and examined it. Then the Russian and Turkish defense ministers joined the presidents, after which they continued the discussion of what they had seen.
Apart from the Su-57, the Russian and Turkish presidents also examined a Su-35 fighter, a Ka-62 medium helicopter and a Mi-38 heavy helicopter. Putin and Erdogan got a glimpse of the Mi-38’s interior as well.
Then they headed for a Be-200 amphibious plane, where Putin told his Turkish counterpart about its basic characteristics. The presidents also went on board the Russian civilian plane MC-21 and examined the cockpit and the plane’s cabin.
Putin’s comment following a joint news conference with the Turkish president
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said at a news conference on Tuesday he had discussed the joint production of Russian aircraft with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“We talked about cooperation on the Su-35 and even on the possible work on the new Su-57 plane,” Putin commented following his negotiations with Erdogan, responding to a question from TASS.
“We have plenty of options and we have demonstrated new weapon systems and new electronic warfare complexes,” Putin said.
“To my mind, many things evoked the interest of our Turkish partners not only from the viewpoint of the purchase but also from the viewpoint of the joint production,” the Russian leader added.
“As a matter of fact, we are ready for this and will be actively discussing specific areas,” Putin said.
Russia is proud of its breakthrough developments in the sphere of military and civilian aircraft, Putin pointed out.
According to the Russian leader, the Turkish partners were able to see, in particular, the latest Russian MC-21 medium-haul airliner at the MAKS 2019 air show.
“As I understood, the president [Erdogan] liked it and he liked rotorcraft very much, including Mi-38s and light helicopters that are used for medical purposes as well,” Putin commented.
The Turkish leader has plans to implement the entire program in Turkey for developing aero-medical aircraft, Putin noted.
“We also have such plans on the agenda in Russia,” the Russian leader added.
Erdogan’s comment on the joint plans
Turkey is interested in the joint production of military hardware, including military aircraft, with Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
“The joint production [of S-400 air defense systems] is a major step in relations with Russia. There were a lot of rumors on this issue but we didn’t pay the slightest attention to them,” Erdogan said after his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the MAKS aerospace show.
“We want to spread our solidary in this area to all the other spheres of the defense industry. This may also apply to military planes,” the Turkish leader stated.