The process of the U.S. selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey has stalled.
On August 14, Xinhua News Agency reported from Beijing (Reporter Li Mingrui) that after U.S. President Trump signaled on July 7 the possibility of selling F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey, there has been no substantial progress on the related plans for over a month.
According to a report by the U.S. Flag News Agency on the 13th, Turkey's acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system is one of the obstacles to the arms sale. Some members of the U.S. Congress believe that Turkey can only obtain the F-35 fighters if it abandons this system.
U.S. Senator Rick Scott stated that Turkey "cannot obtain the F-35 fighters as long as it still holds the S-400 system."
In addition, Israel has also publicly opposed this arms sale. Sinan Gid, director of the Turkey project at the U.S. think tank "Foundation for Defense of Democracies," said that Israel is pressuring some members of the U.S. Congress to maintain restrictions on Turkey's acquisition of F-35 fighters. He stated that Israel has "significant concerns" about Turkey possessing advanced fighter jets, as Turkey's acquisition of this type of aircraft would weaken Israel's existing regional military advantage.
Currently, Israel is the only country in the Middle East using F-35 fighters. Just hours after Trump's statement on July 7, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly opposed this arms sale plan, stating that the U.S. move could "disrupt the balance of power in the Middle East."
According to the Flag News Agency, both the U.S. and Turkey are considering various solutions, including removing, destroying, or deactivating the S-400 system. Turkey has also discussed reselling the S-400 system with the UAE, but there has been no significant progress so far.
According to Russian news agencies, if Turkey transfers the S-400 system to a third country, it would still need to obtain approval from Russia.
Turkey was "kicked out" of the F-35 fighter program in 2019 due to its purchase of the S-400 system, and the six F-35 fighters that Turkey had previously paid for are still stranded in the U.S. Turkey has repeatedly stated that this decision is "unfair."
The U.S. is considering the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, but progress has stalled as of August 14, 2023, due to Turkey's possession of the Russian S-400 air defense system. U.S. lawmakers and Israeli officials oppose the sale, citing security concerns. Turkey was previously removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after acquiring the S-400 system, and it currently has six F-35 jets that remain in the U.S.
- U.S. President Trump indicated a potential sale of F-35s to Turkey on July 7, 2023.
- Turkey's acquisition of the Russian S-400 system is a major obstacle to the sale.
- Israeli officials are pressuring U.S. lawmakers to block the sale due to security concerns.
- Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after purchasing the S-400 system.
- Turkey has expressed that the U.S. decision to exclude them from the F-35 program is unfair.