US and Turkey Seek Deal to Restore F-35 Program

The United States and Turkey are working toward a resolution of the long-standing dispute over Turkey's 2019 purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems. This purchase originally led to Turkey's expulsion from the F-35 fighter jet program and the imposition of CAATSA sanctions. Following a March settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Turkey's state-owned Halkbank, diplomatic momentum has increased.

Tom Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, announced at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that President Donald Trump considers Turkey's return to the F-35 program acceptable. Barrack described the prolonged impasse as "insane" and predicted a solution within four to six months through "surgical diplomacy" involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler proposed using the S-400s as standalone units without NATO network integration, Barrack emphasized that U.S. law requires the verifiable cessation of the system's possession and operability to protect sensitive technology.

Turkey seeks to acquire 40 F-35 aircraft while continuing to develop its own KAAN fighter and negotiating for U.S.-made F-16s. U.S. officials suggest that restoring Turkey's role in the ecosystem would strengthen NATO interoperability and deny strategic leverage to Russia.