US holds ‘fruitful’ talks with Turkey about prospective F-35 sales - The Jewish Chronicle

The US has confirmed that it has had "fruitful" talks with Turkey over a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets.

In its capacity as a Nato member, Turkey was previously involved in the F-35 programme, in which various US allies cooperate with defence contractor Lockheed Martin to manufacture the stealth fighters.

But it was kicked out of the scheme after Ankara purchased the Russian-made S-400 air defence system in 2017 - technology it retains despite multiple attempts from Moscow to buy it back this year due to shortages related to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing in Washington DC on on April 01, 2025 (Getty Images)Getty Images

Confirming the talks, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack wrote on X: "As laid out in US law, Turkey must no longer operate nor possess the S-400 system to return to the F-35 program.

"The positive relationship between President Trump and President Erdoğan has created a new atmosphere of cooperation, which has led to the most fruitful conversations we have had on this topic in nearly a decade.

"Our hope is that these talks will yield a breakthrough in the coming months that meets both the security requirements of the United States and Turkey."

However, the move is likely to cause alarm in Israel thanks to Turkey's open hostility to the Jewish state. Erdoğan himself said during a prayer in March: "May Allah make Zionist Israel destroyed and devastated."

There were already concerns after Washington announced a deal to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, with some claiming it violated the US commitment to maintain Israel's "qualitative military edge" in the region.

US President Donald Trump with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on November 18, 2025 (Getty Images)Getty Images

Confirming that agreement, President Trump said: “We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35 jets.

"[Saudi Arabia] wants to buy them, they’ve been a great ally.”

F-35s are among the premier fighter jets in the world, with supersonic and stealth capabilities.

They are built through an international supply chain involving the US and its allies, including the UK, and assembled at Lockheed’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

As such, the US effectively controls the global supply of the jets, and government approval is required to sell them internationally.

Israel is currently the only Middle Eastern nation to receive the jets, which it modifies heavily to create the F-35 Adir.

Some in the US have also voiced their concerns that the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia or Turkey could see the specifications potentially leaked to Russia or China.

Nonetheless, priced at anywhere from $80 million to $100 million each, the Trump administration seems intent on expanding the F-35 programme as a key source of military revenue.

To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Topics: