Turkey’s Path to F-35 Program Participation Remains Complicated
The State Department informed Congress on Wednesday that Turkey currently fails to meet the necessary legal “conditions” to rejoin the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, as reported by multiple sources.
Back in July 2019, President Donald Trump removed Turkey from the program, but he has recently expressed interest in having Turkey re-enter.
Turkey, a member of NATO, had invested around $1.4 billion in the F-35 program, established in 2002, and was aiming to acquire at least 100 of these advanced fighter jets when they became available.
The decision to oust Turkey stemmed from Ankara’s insistence on acquiring Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles, which raised significant concerns over security risks for F-35 pilots. The possibility of Russian engineers gaining access to F-35 technology was deemed unacceptable.
Turkey’s expulsion followed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s persistent refusal to heed warnings against purchasing the Russian missiles, driven in part by his desire to strengthen ties with Russia amid the Syrian civil war.
During a NATO summit in June, President Trump received a warm welcome in Turkey and mentioned his interest in selling the F-35 to Ankara. Erdogan acknowledged Trump’s openness to this discussion and highlighted Turkey’s considerable investment in the program.
“Together with our friend Mr. Trump, we will open the door to a new chapter in Turkish-American relations,” he stated.
However, there is significant bipartisan opposition in Congress, primarily due to ongoing security issues related to the S-400 missiles, Erdogan’s authoritarian practices, Turkey’s complicated relationship with Russia amid the Ukraine conflict, and tensions with U.S. allies like Greece and Israel.
Even Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, expressed uncertainty about Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program, noting its critical role as “a great ally and NATO’s only Islamic nation.” Yet, a path back into the program appears elusive.
On Wednesday, the State Department’s Legislative Bureau addressed an inquiry from Congressman Wesley Bell (D-Missouri), stating that Turkey doesn’t fulfill the legal criteria for accepting F-35 deliveries. This response was relayed through right-wing Greek media.
The letter highlighted some positive steps Turkey has taken, such as cooperating with U.S. counterterrorism and engaging in regional diplomacy. Nonetheless, the S-400 missile situation remains unresolved, although Turkey has navigated some complex dealings involving Hamas.
Legal issues brought up by the State Department reference the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 and the Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017. While the Trump administration might consider exemptions from these sanctions, the 2020 NDAA requires Turkey to certify that it has disposed of all its S-400 missiles, complicating any workaround.
Turkey is contemplating the removal of the S-400s, but the situation is proving to be more problematic than beneficial at this stage. Efforts to integrate the Russian missiles into Turkey’s defense framework haven’t been successful, as only some S-400 batteries were delivered without functional deployment.
Recently, Turkey approached Russia and the UAE to discuss transferring the S-400 systems for about $2.5 billion. This proposal could lead to further complications, particularly since the UAE operates sophisticated American defense systems, including the THAAD and Patriot missile systems, and has established air defenses through Israel due to the Abraham Accords.
Questions linger regarding Turkey’s willingness to sell the S-400s, especially with legal stipulations demanding their complete removal before any future arrangements can proceed.
The State Department committed to engaging with Turkey to resolve the S-400 issue while continuing to bolster NATO cooperation.
Despite approval for transferring the S-400s to the UAE, it seems unlikely that even the six F-35s earmarked for Turkey will be delivered until the situation with the S-400s is fully resolved.
