Two more F-35s for Turkey?

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ISTANBUL, Turkey, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Turkey may order two additional F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from Lockheed Martin for delivery in 2016, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

The newspaper, quoting an unidentified senior procurement official from the Turkish government, said financing for the advanced stealth aircraft would come from its Defense Industry Support Fund.

Turkish Aerospace Industries and a number of other Turkish companies hold more than $5 billion in contracts to produce components for the plane.

"We are expected to decide on the figure as two, as was the case before the Jan. 5 meeting (of the Defense Industry Executive Committee)," the official was quoted as saying. "But the committee needs to confirm this figure at its next meeting.

"We are planning to use funds from our Defense Industry Support Fund for the first four aircraft. Two are set for delivery in 2015, and another two for 2016. Later, we will be expecting the creation of a special fund to finance the rest of the program."

Turkey, a member of NATO, had earlier been expected to order six aircraft but only ordered two. It could eventually order as many as 100 in the coming years.