US says Turkey fails legal requirements for F-35 return: JP
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- The US reaffirmed that Turkey cannot receive F-35 fighter jets while it retains the Russian S-400 air defense system.
- State Department said CAATSA sanctions and FY2020 NDAA restrictions remain fully in effect.
- The clarification was delivered to Congress in a July 22 letter on behalf of President Donald Trump.
- Washington nevertheless acknowledged Turkey's diplomatic role in Gaza ceasefire efforts and other regional crises.
The US State Department informed Congress that Turkey does not meet the legal statutory requirements to re-enter the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, according to a letter obtained by The Jerusalem Post.
The July 22 letter -sent by the Bureau of Legislative Affairs on behalf of President Donald Trump in response to an inquiry from Representative Wesley Bell (D-MO)- reiterated that US policy regarding Ankara’s exclusion from the fifth-generation jet program remains unchanged.
Strict compliance required under US federal law
The State Department emphasized that federal law strictly prohibits transferring any F-35 aircraft to Turkey until Ankara fully resolves its possession of the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system.
To satisfy statutory obligations under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and Section 1245 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Ankara must no longer possess the S-400 or related equipment, guarantee it will not acquire the system again, and fulfill all remaining certification benchmarks.
"Turkey has not yet met these conditions," the State Department wrote, adding that any resolution mechanism must remain "transparent, lawful, and consistent with our national security interests."
The letter referenced US President Trump’s recent bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, affirming that Washington will continue engaging with Turkey to resolve the S-400 dispute while strengthening NATO alliance cooperation.
Diplomatic contributions praised
While maintaining a firm stance on defense hardware transfers, the State Department credited Ankara with advancing several key US diplomatic initiatives.
The letter highlighted Turkey's mediation efforts regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks, and broader counterterrorism operations against ISIS.
The State Department specifically commended Turkey for playing a "pivotal role" in advancing President Trump's Gaza peace framework.
According to the document, Ankara leveraged its ties with Hamas's political leadership to help secure acceptance of the proposal and facilitate the initial ceasefire phase, subsequently joining as a founding member of the Board of Peace.
However, Washington emphasized that Hamas's financial presence within Turkey remains a major concern.
The State Department warned that informal financial networks and unlicensed exchange houses operating in Turkey continue to be utilized by Hamas, reaffirming Washington's commitment to sanctioning affiliated entities and disrupting illicit funding pipelines to the group's military wing.
