The United States and Turkey are engaged in discussions about Ankara’s potential return to the F-35 fighter jet program, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said Tuesday.

Turkey must no longer operate or possess the Russian-made S-400 air defense system—per conditions set out in U.S. law—to rejoin the program, Barrack said in a social media post.

The ambassador described ongoing talks as “the most fruitful conversations we have had on this topic in nearly a decade,” crediting improved relations between President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The U.S. expelled Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara acquired the S-400 system, which Washington said posed a security risk to the advanced fighter jets.

Barrack expressed hope the negotiations would prod

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