U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has said he sees a realistic path for Türkiye to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program if Ankara removes the Russian-made S-400 air defense system it acquired in 2019.
Speaking to CNN, Whitaker said the Trump administration is engaged in direct discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to resolve the issue.
“The law is very clear,” Whitaker said, expressing confidence that an agreement “can happen” and ultimately “will happen.”
He described the S-400 issue as a legal prerequisite under U.S. legislation rather thanan insurmountable barrier,saying the administration is working with Erdoğan to meet the statutory requirements instead of merely insisting on compliance.
Whitaker also cautioned that even if Türkiye is readmitted to the F-35 program, deliveries would not begin immediately because production slots are already allocated to other partner countries.Türkiye was excluded from the multinational F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 2019 after taking delivery of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.
Washington has consistently argued that operating the S-400 alongside the fifth-generation fighter could allow Russia to collect intelligence on the aircraft’s stealth capabilities, posing a risk to the program’s security.
The remarks came as Turkish media reports said Ankara indicated it is prepared to announce the sale of its S-400 batteries to a third country, with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar named as possible buyers.
