US Ambassador: Turkey must abandon Russian S-400s to get F-35s

Turkey must abandon the Russian S-400 air defense system if it wants to return to the US-led F-35 fighter jet production and procurement program, said US Ambassador Tom Barrack, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.

Details

Barrack, a key ally of US President Donald Trump and his ambassador to Turkey, said in a post on X that the two countries are negotiating over the Russian systems, which Ankara acquired about a decade ago, and its "desire to rejoin" the F-35 program.

Trump raised the issue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the White House in September, signaling that he was open to Turkey acquiring F-35 fighter jets. Nevertheless, the ambassador's comments underscore Washington's insistence, supported by other NATO members, that Turkey must abandon the Russian missile system to resolve the dispute. This is a step that Ankara has so far been unwilling to take.

"As stated in US law, Turkey must no longer operate or possess the S-400 system to return to the F-35 program," Barrack said. Trump's close relationship with Erdoğan has led "to the most fruitful conversations on this topic in almost a decade," he said.

"We hope that these negotiations will lead to a breakthrough in the coming months that will meet the security requirements of both the US and Turkey," the ambassador said.

Last week, Barrack said that the issue could be resolved within the next four to six months, and that Turkey was close to getting rid of the S-400.

Turkey has expressed hope that the US can lift sanctions on its defense industry without requiring Ankara to abandon the Russian missile system.

Addition

The country acquired the S-400 after a 2016 coup attempt, during which American F-16 fighter jets were used by coup plotters to bomb key targets, including the Turkish parliament and the vicinity of Erdoğan's palace. It has tested the S-400 missiles at least once and kept them near Ankara.