US reaffirms F-35 conditions for Türkiye, S-400 dispute remains key issue

The U.S. State Department has reiterated that the conditions for providing Türkiye with F-35 fighter jets remain unchanged.

This follows remarks by Türkiye’s Defense Minister Yasar Guler suggesting that the U.S. might lift objections regarding Türkiye’s acquisition of the jets if the S-400 issue is addressed, according to an American-based Turkish-language media outlet.

Guler mentioned that the U.S. might offer Türkiye F-35s after seeing Ankara’s progress with the indigenous KAAN jet program and after addressing the concerns over the Russian-made S-400 system.

However, the U.S. response clarified that NATO compatibility remains a critical priority.

S-400 issue

• Türkiye was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after purchasing the S-400 system from Russia, which the U.S. argues could compromise the security of NATO infrastructure.
• Despite Türkiye’s efforts to resolve the issue, including Guler’s recent remarks rejecting U.S. conditions on the S-400, the U.S. insists that the S-400 system still poses a risk to NATO’s security framework.

Next steps for F-35s

While the U.S. is open to discussions, any resolution on the F-35 program is contingent on Türkiye’s resolution of the S-400 dispute, with the U.S. emphasizing that future talks on F-35s will only be possible if Türkiye adheres to NATO’s security standards.