Recently, Turkey considered replacing the F-16 fighter jet originally planned to be purchased from the United States, and turned to the JF-17 "Thunder" fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan has become the focus of attention. Since Turkey is unable to buy F-16 at this stage, Germany has not let go of the "Typhoon" fighters, and considering Turkey's NATO status, it is not realistic to buy Russian fighters, so China's "Thunder" fighters have become Erdogan's only more suitable choice.
The main fighter of the Turkish Air Force is still the F-16, with more than 200 aircraft, second only to the United States in terms of scale among NATO member states. The entire Turkish army system is in line with NATO, and the training of air force pilots is also carried out in accordance with NATO standards. The replacement of all NATO warplanes at once could lead to a prolonged power vacuum for the Turkish Air Force. In addition, Turkey is facing considerable difficulties in gradually replacing NATO military equipment. Since Turkey's contract with China could provoke a reaction from the United States, Turkey still really wants the F-16, given that the United States has been advocating for a reduction in its dependence on China. However, the United States has not relented**, leading Turkey to look for alternatives.
Turkey's announcement of the purchase of Thunder fighter jets may be a ploy to force the United States to make compromises. Despite the excellent quality of the Thunder fighters, which the Pakistani Air Force has verified in real combat, Turkey still prefers to buy the F-16. Due to Turkey's previous insistence on the purchase of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, it was kicked out of the F-35 joint research and development project by the United States. Erdogan has shown a left-right posture in the procurement of military equipment, and by pressuring China, he may be able to gain more leverage in negotiations with the United States.
Erdogan is good at taking advantage of the situation, he has the geographical advantage of controlling the Black Sea access to the sea, sitting at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. This gave him the capital to make higher prices to the United States and other Western countries. In recent years, Turkey has made many attempts in its relations with China and Russia, and even openly applied for the BRICS mechanism. Erdogan also did not fully follow the US position on Middle East affairs, especially in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, where he sided with Israel.
Since the military coup in 2016, the rift in U.S.-Turkey relations has been difficult to heal. After Erdogan's successful re-election, the United States was in turmoil. Although the "Ethiopian Sultan" may not immediately "abandon the darkness and turn to the light", as a NATO country, it is possible for Turkey to find its place in the great changes that have not been seen in a century.