Turkey aims to reverse‑engineer F‑35 jets despite US embargo

The United States has maintained an embargo on supplying F‑35 fighter jets to Turkey since July 2019, citing Turkey’s purchase of Russian S‑400 air‑defence systems. The embargo prevents any delivery of the aircraft or related engines, and the U.S. State Department has reiterated that the sanctions remain in place.

Greek defence analysts warn that Turkey intends to acquire the six F‑35s it has already paid for and use them to reverse‑engineer its own fifth‑generation fighter programme, dubbed KAAN. Former Greek brigadier‑general Ioannis Baltzos told a television programme that Turkey would treat the jets as “a dump” to copy technology for domestic aircraft and other weapon systems. He linked the issue to broader U.S. sanctions under the CAATSA framework and noted that Turkey’s move could undermine regional security.

Greek lobby group ELAS also highlighted the historical context of the embargo, referencing U.S. congressional laws and the East Med Act that barred Turkey from the F‑35 program during the previous Greek administration. The combined statements reflect ongoing Greek concern over Turkey’s expanding defence capabilities amid the continued U.S. embargo.