The State Department has told President Trump that he can’t give Turkey any F-35s yet, because Turkey hasn’t met the requirement of the law.
Here’s the report via Fox News:
Trump wants Turkey back in the F-35 program — but the State Department just told Congress that Erdoğan hasn’t met the legal requirements to receive America’s most advanced fighter jet.
A July 22 letter confirms US law still prohibits the transfer until Ankara no longer possesses the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system, promises not to acquire it again, and satisfies remaining certification requirements set by Congress. The finding came weeks after Trump stood alongside Erdoğan at the NATO summit and said he’d lift sanctions and consider selling the aircraft.
The gap between Trump’s personal diplomacy and the legal reality now sets up a collision between the administration, Congress, and a NATO ally that still maintains ties to Russia, Hamas, and Chinese telecom firms.
The State Department letter paints a more complicated picture. While crediting Turkey with helping on Gaza diplomacy and counter-ISIS operations, it simultaneously warned that Hamas continues to exploit financial channels operating from Turkish territory.
Former US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey told Fox News Digital that Trump’s stance reflects genuine trust built through cooperation on Libya, Syria, Ukraine, and the PKK ceasefire — and a desire to keep Ankara from turning to Russia or China for weapons.
The legal path forward remains murky. Jeffrey says transferring the S-400 to a third country — the UAE has been floated — would satisfy the law. But analysts warn Russia could block the transfer, Abu Dhabi may not want the sanctions risk, and Congress has its own objections.
Well this is good news and I hope it sticks. But knowing Erdogan, he’ll transfer the S-400s to another country, just to get back into the F-35 program, and then secretly try and get them back.
