US State Department: Türkiye still fails to meet legal requirements for F-35 sale

President Donald Trump is seeking to revive the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Türkiye, but his administration's own State Department has told Congress that Ankara remains legally ineligible until it meets conditions set by US law.

In a July 22 letter to Congress, the department said Türkiye has "not yet met" the requirements for rejoining the F-35 programme because it still possesses the Russian-made S-400 air defence system, Caliber.Az reports, citing US media.

Under US law, Ankara must relinquish the S-400, pledge not to reacquire it and meet additional congressional certification requirements before any transfer can proceed.

The assessment contrasts with Trump's remarks at the NATO summit in Ankara, where he praised President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said bilateral ties were "better probably than they've ever been," and indicated his administration would consider selling F-35s to Türkiye while lifting sanctions imposed over the S-400 purchase.

Türkiye was removed from the F-35 programme in 2019 after acquiring the Russian missile system, with Washington arguing it could compromise the aircraft's sensitive technology.

Former US ambassador to Türkiye James Jeffrey said Trump backs restoring Türkiye's access to the F-35 because of his close ties with Erdoğan and a desire to prevent Ankara from turning to Russia or China for advanced weapons. He said transferring the S-400 to a third country could satisfy the legal requirements.

However, analyst Sinan Ciddi said resolving the S-400 issue alone would not eliminate concerns over Türkiye's ties with Hamas, Russia and broader regional security issues.

The State Department also acknowledged Türkiye's role in diplomatic efforts involving Ukraine, the South Caucasus, Gaza and counter-ISIS operations, while warning that Hamas continues to use financial networks operating from Turkish territory.

Even if Ankara meets the legal conditions, congressional opposition and reported Israeli concerns are expected to remain major obstacles to any F-35 deal.

By Aghakazim Guliyev