F-35 deal with US may be revisited, says minister

ANKARA

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has said the possibility of the United States selling F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye could be on the table again.

"When the Americans saw that we could produce the [indigenous] Kaan aircraft, their thoughts changed a little. They state that they can give F-35s," Güler said in remarks to lawmakers on Nov. 26.

Türkiye was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after it purchased the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. The U.S. government had expressed concerns that the S-400 system posed a security threat to the advanced jets.

"We insist that our production share be given back to us. We have also stated that we want to buy 40 F-35s," Güler told MPs. He said no concrete developments had been made regarding the deal.

Türkiye's acquisition of the S-400 system made it the first NATO member state to face sanctions under the U.S. Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Güler said Türkiye had not received a positive response over several requests to purchase the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system, and this led it to turn to Russia for the S-400s.

"We had to purchase the S-400," he said. "Right now… the Americans no longer have any objections regarding the S-400s."

Meanwhile, Güler confirmed that plans for the U.S. to handle the modernization of its F-16s had been canceled.

Türkiye recently reached an agreement with the U.S. for the purchase of 40 new F-16s and the upgrade of 79 existing ones.

"Our [state-run Turkish Aerospace Industries] TUSAŞ facilities are capable of modernizing the F-16s," he said.

The outgoing Joe Biden administration's notification came after Erdoğan signed off on Sweden's accession to NATO – a development that caps off more than a year of negotiations.

Despite the advancements with the F-16s, officials continue to push for diversification in their defense acquisitions. Türkiye has sought to procure at least 40 Eurofighter jets, produced by a consortium of Germany, Spain, Italy and the U.K.

The deal has been complicated by Germany's opposition, despite support from the other partner nations. The proposed package is valued at $5.6 billion.

Last month, sources told local media that Türkiye's defense priorities remain focused on developing its own advanced fighter jets, including the Kaan and the domestically produced Hürjet training aircraft.