Overview
- U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack said discussions with Turkey on rejoining the F-35 program are active and the most productive in years.
- He reiterated that U.S. law bars Turkey from the program as long as it operates or possesses the Russian-made S-400 system.
- Barrack credited President Trump’s rapport with President Erdogan for creating a cooperative environment for the talks.
- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said NATO allies have begun working on U.S. sanctions relief and predicted progress soon.
- Turkey was removed from the F-35 program and sanctioned in 2020 over the S-400 purchase, and in the meantime it has pursued Eurofighter Typhoons, additional F-16s, and the domestic Kaan fighter.