In 2016, Pakistan’s previous Minister of Defence Production (MoDP), Rana Tanveer Hussain, told PTV that Turkey invited Pakistan to participate in the TF-X, Turkish Aerospace’s (TAI) next-generation fighter (NGF) program. Since then, the following official representatives from both countries promoted the possibility:
November 2016
On the lead-up to the 2016 International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS), then Secretary of the MoDP, Lt. General (retired) Syed Muhammad Owais, said the following:
“Importantly, joint collaboration on 5th generation fighter aircraft, commonly known as Turkish Fighter Development [TF-X] Program, will be a true flagship project between Pakistan and Turkey. Currently, the details and scope of collaboration and participation is being worked between the two governments for jointly undertaking this strategic project, which would further open new vistas of mutual cooperation of defence industries of the two countries.”[1]
During IDEAS 2016, Özcan Ertem, then Executive Vice President of TAI’s Aircraft Group, told MSI Turkish Defence Review that both sides were talking on the issue.
April 2017
In an interview with Bol Narratives, Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sohail Aman, the prior Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), spoke of collaborating with Turkey (twice):
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