The delivery of American F-35 fighter jets to Turkey may take place only after “many, many years“, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to him, the procedure remains blocked due to legal restrictions in Washington related to the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems acquired by Ankara.
Rubio made the statement in an interview with the Greek newspaper “Kathimerini“. He specified that President Donald Trump has expressed a desire for Turkey to receive the planes if possible, since Ankara has already financed some of them.
S-400s remain the main obstacle
According to the US Secretary of State, the key problem is the presence of the Russian S-400 systems in Turkey. US legislation, including the provisions of the National Defense Act and other laws passed by Congress, does not allow the transfer of the F-35 while retaining this system.
„Everything depends on the S-400 system. Therefore, at this point this issue is unresolved and from a legal point of view we cannot transfer these aircraft until it is resolved“, Rubio said.
Ankara seeks a solution
Rubio pointed out that Washington's requirements have already been officially conveyed to Ankara. The Turkish side is trying to find both a legal and technical solution that would remove the obstacle to the delivery.
Thus, the aircraft paid for by Turkey remain undelivered, and their possible delivery depends not only on the political will of the US administration, but also on a change in the circumstances surrounding the S-400 and the applicable restrictions in the US.
Sources: focus-news.net, ekathimerini.com