Turkey remains barred from F‑35 fighter program by US law

U.S. officials reiterated that current American legislation forbids Turkey’s re‑entry into the F‑35 fighter aircraft program. The stance was restated by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a briefing before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, responding to a query from Representative Dina Taitus.

Rubio explained that Turkey was initially part of the F‑35 development but was removed after Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S‑400 air‑defence system. He emphasized that Congress‑mandated legal restrictions prevent any return to the program, and the S‑400 issue remains the primary obstacle to renewed cooperation. The matter was also raised in the Greek Parliament, underscoring ongoing tensions in U.S.–Turkey defence relations.