The U.S. has reiterated that Turkey must give up the S-400 missile defense system it purchased from Russia to be eligible for the acquisition of advanced F‑35 fighter jets.

"As laid out in U.S. law, Turkiye must no longer operate nor possess the S-400 system to return to the F-35 program," U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack wrote in a statement on his X account. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Er dogan has been discussing the issue with President Donald Trump for months.

Why It Matters

Turkey had intended to buy at least 100 U.S.-made F‑35s and was one of the eight original partner nations involved in the jet’s development and industrial production. Despite U.S. warnings, Turkey signed a deal with Russia in 2017 to acquire the S‑400 air‑defense system and began receiving

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