Turkey Says No Change In Russian S-400s Amid U.S. Talks On F-35s

Turkey and the United States are talking about a big defence issue. The U.S. wants Turkey to rejoin the F‑35 fighter jet programme. This programme is important because the F‑35 is one of the most advanced military aircraft in the world. Turkey used to be part of the programme, but it was removed in 2020. This happened because Turkey bought Russian S‑400 air defence systems, and the U.S. said this could be a security risk.

The U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, says that the two countries are in ongoing talks about the F‑35 issue. He also says the discussions are productive and the relationship between the leaders of the two countries has improved. The United States says Turkey must stop using or owning the S‑400 system if it wants to return to the F‑35 programme. This is a clear condition because U.S. laws do not allow Turkey to keep the Russian system and join the F‑35 group at the same time.

Turkey says these sanctions and the removal from the F‑35 programme were unfair. The Turkish government wants the sanctions lifted so that it can buy F‑35 jets again. But Turkey also says it will keep its S‑400 systems and has made no change to its current position. The defence ministry said there have been no new changes in how Turkey deals with the S‑400. Talks continue and both sides hope for a solution, but the S‑400 remains the main issue.


References

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/turkey-talks-rejoin-us-f-35-fighter-jet-programme-envoy-says-2025-12-10/ 

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-says-no-change-russian-s-400s-amid-us-talks-f-35s-2025-12-12/