On December 10, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said that Washington is discussing with Ankara the possibility of the country re- joining the F-35 fighter jet program.
He said the talks are ongoing and the US side hopes for a breakthrough in the coming months, in line with the security demands of both sides. The relationship between US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Putin is seen as having created a new atmosphere of cooperation, bringing the most effective discussions in nearly a decade.
Turkey was excluded from the F-35 program in 2020 after the US imposed sanctions for Turkey's purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system. Turkey called the decision unfair and expressed hope the issue would be resolved during Trump's second term. However, US law does not allow Turkey to own or operate the S-400 if it wants to return to the F-35 program.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan believes that the two sides will soon find a way to lift US sanctions, and confirmed that NATO allies have begun working on the issue.
However, having the S-400 is still the biggest obstacle to re-entering the F-35 program. Washington said the system threatens the operation of the F-35 as well as NATO's defense structure. Turkey denied the S-400 and insists it is not integrated into NATO, while stressing that it will not reverse the decision to buy the system.
In the context that both sides expressed their desire to find a solution, the prospect of progress depends on the settlement of the multi-year conflict related to the S-400.
