EditTrump’s Turkey reset runs into the S-400 roadblock
The State Department's latest letter signals that the legal barriers preventing Turkey's return to the F-35 programme remain firmly in place
The U.S. State Department has told Congress that Turkey still does not meet the legal conditions for acquiring F-35 fighter jets, keeping the dispute over Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defence system at the centre of efforts to repair U.S.-Turkish defence ties. The finding underscores that President Donald Trump’s push to improve relations with Ankara cannot by itself override congressional restrictions linked to the S-400 purchase.
In a 22 July letter sent by the State Department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs on behalf of the White House, the administration said its position remained unchanged under Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and Section 1245 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
“Turkey has not yet met these conditions,” the department wrote in response to Democratic Representative Wesley Bell of Missouri.
According to the letter, Ankara would have to end its possession of the Russian-made S-400 air defence system and related equipment, provide guarantees that it will not acquire similar systems in the future, and satisfy the remaining certification requirements set out in U.S. legislation.
The State Department added that any arrangement would have to be transparent, lawful and fully consistent with U.S. national security interests.
The letter followed President Donald Trump’s meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 7 July during the NATO summit, where Trump said Washington intended to lift sanctions imposed on Türkiye and would decide whether to back a renewed F-35 sale.
The meeting revived one of the most contentious issues in U.S. – Turkish defence relations, after both sides had indicated that the F-35 programme and the S-400 dispute would feature prominently in their discussions.
Trump signals major shift in U.S.-Turkey relations: eyes F-35 sales and plans to lift sanctions
However, the written response to Congress makes clear that any political agreement would still have to comply with existing U.S. legislation.
Turkish officials have nevertheless expressed growing confidence that a compromise is within reach.
Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gümrükçü said on 17 July that Turkey and the United States were closer than ever to resolving both the F-35 dispute and the CAATSA sanctions.
Speaking at an Atlantic Council event in Washington, he said a joint political and military working group had examined options designed to satisfy U.S. legal requirements while addressing Turkey’s political and economic concerns.
“This time we really feel closer,” Gümrükçü said. “We feel that we might be able to resolve this issue and leave that problem behind us.”
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said Ankara’s immediate priority is securing the delivery of six F-35 aircraft that Turkey says it purchased before its suspension from the programme.
He has also distinguished between lifting the embargo on aircraft deliveries and restoring Türkiye’s participation in the multinational F-35 industrial partnership.
How Erdoğan decided to buy Russian made missiles
Turkey received S-400 air defence system in 2019. Erdoğan purchased the Russian air defense system primarily to address a long-standing gap in its long-range air and missile defenses, after Western alternatives (especially the U.S. Patriot) failed to meet its terms on cost, technology transfer, and joint production, amid growing distrust of NATO allies and a strategic rapprochement with Russia.
The United States subsequently removed Ankara from the F-35 programme and imposed sanctions on Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries in 2020.
Ankara maintains that the S-400 purchase was a one-off decision driven by urgent air defence needs. Washington argues that operating the Russian system alongside the F-35 would pose unacceptable risks to the aircraft’s stealth capabilities and to NATO’s integrated defence architecture.
The latest exchange follows months of renewed diplomatic activity aimed at breaking the deadlock.
In June 2026, Presidents Trump and Erdoğan agreed to establish a joint political and military mechanism to explore options for resolving the dispute over the S-400 system and reopening defence cooperation, including Türkiye’s long-standing request to receive F-35 aircraft already ordered before its suspension from the programme.
Momentum increased in July 2026 after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the NATO summit, where Trump publicly said his administration intended to lift sanctions on Turkey and would consider supporting an F-35 sale.
Turkish officials subsequently said technical talks had made significant progress and expressed confidence that a mutually acceptable solution could be found. The State Department’s 22 July letter, however, makes clear that despite the improved political atmosphere, the statutory conditions imposed by Congress remain unchanged and continue to block any transfer of the aircraft.
Sources: Bosphorus News, Kathimerini, The Jerusalem Post, Anadolu Agency
Caption: US Navy F-35 fighter jet flies near the Great American State Fair during a flyover demonstration, on the National Mall in Washington, DC, USA, 4 July 2026. The 250th Independence Day celebration on the National Mall will include musical performances, military flyovers, an address by President Trump, and what organizers are billing as the largest fireworks display in history. EPA/GRAEME SLOAN
Updated: July 28, 2026 - 05:05
