Türkiye's F-35 deal with US remains stuck over Russian S-400s
Photo: S-400 air defense missile system (Russian media)
Türkiye still cannot receive US-made F-35 fighter jets because of its Russian S-400 systems, while talks on selling the systems to another country have so far failed to produce results, Semafor reports.
US President Donald Trump’s plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye have remained stalled for more than a month since they were announced. One of the main obstacles is the Russian S-400 air defense system, which Ankara must get rid of.
The requirement stems from US law. Türkiye cannot gain access to the F-35s as long as it retains the Russian systems. Ankara has already paid for six fighter jets, but they remain in the United States after Türkiye was removed from the program in 2019.
What can Türkiye do with the S-400s?
One option is to sell the systems to another country. According to Semafor, Türkiye began talks with the United Arab Emirates last month, but the negotiations appear to have made little progress.
US lawmakers, meanwhile, insist that Türkiye must completely get rid of the S-400s to unblock the deal.
"I don’t think they should have F-35s unless they’re going to be a true partner … so if they have the S-400, they cannot have the F-35," Senator Rick Scott told Semafor.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, who has long opposed the deal, also said the process had effectively stalled.
"At this point, they have not removed the S-400s, so it’s at a standstill," he said.
At the same time, a US official said a sale of the S-400s to the United Arab Emirates remains possible. However, the official said no final decision has been made.
Russia could present another obstacle. If Türkiye decides to transfer the S-400s to another country, Moscow would have to approve the transfer. This could potentially give the Kremlin leverage over Ankara’s decision.
If the systems cannot be sold, another option under consideration is to disable or destroy them.
"There are several options to solve this problem, and I think the Turks want to solve it," the US official told Semafor.
The Trump administration previously said Türkiye had not yet met all the conditions for acquiring F-35 fighter jets.
The State Department stressed that Ankara must resolve the issue of the Russian S-400s and provide the necessary guarantees.
