US says Turkey yet to meet conditions for F-35s, after Trump signaled he’d back sale

The US State Department informed Congress that Turkey has not met conditions for purchasing F-35 fighter jets, including resolving the S-400 issue. This follows President Trump's indication during a July 7 meeting with Erdogan that he would back the sale and lift CAATSA sanctions, but the letter states those sanctions remain in place.

The US State Department has informed Congress that Turkey has not yet met the conditions required to purchase F-35 fighter jets, despite President Donald Trump signaling during a July 7 meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he was inclined to back the long-stalled sale. In a letter to Republican Rep. Wesley Bell, the State Department stated that Turkey must resolve the issue of its Russian S-400 air defense system—either by no longer possessing it or providing assurances against future acquisition—and meet other statutory certification requirements. Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in 2020 over the S-400 purchase, which triggered CAATSA sanctions. While Trump announced he would lift those sanctions, the letter indicates this has not yet happened. Turkey has been in talks to offload the S-400 system, but no transfer has occurred. The letter also expressed concern over Turkey's relationship with Hamas, while acknowledging its role in the Gaza ceasefire, and praised Turkey's membership in Trump's Board of Peace. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed the sale, warning it would undermine Israel's qualitative military edge. Israel remains the only Middle Eastern country operating the F-35, with 48 aircraft and 52 more on order.