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Turkey-US F-35 program negotiations

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-09 03:39 UTC → 2026-10-14 12:18 UTC · added removed

Negotiations between Turkey and the United States regarding the lifting of CAATSA sanctions and Turkey’s reintegration into the F-35 fighter jet program have been ongoing. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted that the process is taking “a little more time than expected,” despite coordination between mediators and the shared goal of resolving the issue “as soon as possible.” Following discussions at the NATO Summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump has shown a “positive will” regarding the program. Erdoğan expressed expectations for concrete steps toward reintegration, noting that his bilateral relationship with Trump has provided momentum to the broader Turkey-U.S. relationship. Recent reports indicate developments in 2026 show that six F-35A fighter jets manufactured for Turkey, jets, for which Turkey has paid approximately $1.4 billion has been paid, billion, remain held in U.S. hangars. The transfer of these aircraft is currently blocked by a 2019 U.S. Congressional mandate that prohibits delivery as long as Turkey maintains its possession of the Russian S-400 missile system, due to security concerns regarding sensitive technical data. system. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently reaffirmed this stance, stating that Turkey cannot receive the jets until the S-400 issue is resolved, citing resolved due to legal restrictions within the National Defense Authorization Act. While Rubio noted that “various options exist to resolve the situation,” no conclusion has been reached. Concurrently, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that discussions are underway regarding the possibility of transferring Turkey's S-400 systems to another country, a move Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested Moscow might approve if the recipient maintains friendly relations with Russia. Erdoğan Turkish Deputy Defense Minister Alpaslan Kavaklıoğlu has emphasized stated that while the F-35 issue remains a priority, Turkey is simultaneously committed intensifying contacts to developing its domestic defense industry, including secure the production delivery of the KAAN fighter jet. first six aircraft and expressed optimism that a resolution regarding the F-35 program and CAATSA sanctions will be reached in the near future.

Versions

  1. 2026-10-14 12:18 UTC Turkey-US F-35 program negotiations
  2. 2026-10-09 03:39 UTC Turkey-US F-35 program negotiations
  3. 2026-10-08 09:58 UTC Turkey-US F-35 program negotiations
  4. 2026-09-25 19:52 UTC Turkey-US F-35 program negotiations
  5. 2026-09-24 16:48 UTC Turkey-US F-35 program negotiations

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