Türkiye must no longer possess the Russian S-400 air defense system if it wants to return to the US-led program to manufacture and purchase F-35 jets, American envoy Tom Barrack said, APA reports, citing Bloomberg.
Barrack, a key ally of US President Donald Trump and his ambassador to Türkiye, said in a post on X that the two countries are in discussions over the Russian missiles Ankara purchased about a decade ago and its “desire to rejoin” the F-35 program.
Trump raised the issue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House in September, signaling he’s open to Türkiye purchasing F-35 jets. Still, the ambassador’s comments underscore Washington’s insistence — backed by other members of NATO — that Türkiye must abandon the Russian missile system to resolve the dispute. It’s a step Ankara has so far been unwilling to take.
“As laid out in US law, Türkiye must no longer operate or possess the S-400 system to return to the F-35 program,” Barrack said. Trump and Erdogan’s close relationship has led “to the most fruitful conversations on this topic in nearly a decade,” he said.
“Our hope is that these talks will yield a breakthrough in the coming months that meets both the security requirements of the US and Turkey,” the envoy said.
Turkey Closer to Clearing Way for F-35s, Says Trump Ally Barrack
Last week, Barrack said the issue could be resolved in the next four to six months and that Türkiye was getting closer to getting rid of the S-400s.
Türkiye has expressed hope the US could lift sanctions on its defense industry without requiring Ankara to give up the Russian missile system.
The country acquired the S-400s following a 2016 coup attempt, during which American F-16 fighters were used by putschists to bomb key targets including the Turkish parliament and the vicinity of Erdogan’s palace. It has test-fired the S-400 missiles at least once and kept them near Ankara.
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