Despite personal signals from US President Donald Trump about Turkey's possible return to the fifth-generation fighter jet program, the US State Department remains adamant. The department's official position is that Ankara has not yet met the legal requirements to regain access to the advanced F-35 Lightning II aircraft.
The information wave was brought to the forefront after an official letter from the State Department, sent on July 22 and initially quoted by the Greek newspaper "Kathimerini" (m.kathimerini.gr). The document explicitly states: “Turkey has not yet met these conditions“. The main obstacle remains the Russian S-400 air defense system, the purchase of which in 2019 led to the removal of our southern neighbor from the joint defense program.
Trump vs. Congress: A Conflict of Interest in Washington
The case gained serious relevance after the NATO summit earlier this month, held on July 7-8 in the Turkish capital, where the American head of state demonstrated openness to cooperation. Trump emphasized his friendly relations with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and told reporters that “nobody tells him what to sell”, defining Turkey as a “great ally”. More on the subject of the US leader's initial comments was reported by Fox News (foxnews.com/politics/trump-could-hand-prized-stealth-jets-nato-ally-once-seen-alliance-headache).
Despite the White House's ambitions, US legislation poses strict barriers. Under Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2020, the transfer of F-35 aircraft is explicitly prohibited until the executive branch certifies to Congress that Turkey no longer possesses the Russian S-400 missile systems or related equipment.
Pressure from Capitol Hill and regional repercussions
In parallel with the legal obstacles, a bipartisan group of 18 members of the US House of Representatives sent a formal request to congressional leaders to block any attempts to circumvent the rules, Fox News reported in its analysis (noticias.foxnews.com/politics/trump-pushes-f-35-sale-turkey-his-own-state-department-says-erdogan-hasnt-met-legal-requirements). Lawmakers are expressing strong concerns not only about the Russian weapons, but also about Ankara's close diplomatic ties with the political wing of Hamas, as well as ongoing tensions with other NATO allies such as Greece and Cyprus.
The foreign policy context is also complicated by Israel's sharp reaction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in an interview with American media that a possible delivery of F-35s to Turkey would seriously disrupt the military balance and qualitative air superiority in the Middle East, especially against the backdrop of Erdogan's rhetoric towards Jerusalem.
Security experts point out that the State Department's letter is not a final refusal, but rather a tactical reminder to Congress and Ankara. Washington's message remains unchanged: the door for the F-35 can be opened again, but only after Turkey physically gives up Russian technology and provides full guarantees that it will not acquire it in the future.