Trump Signals Openness to F-35 Sales for Turkey: At a July 2026 meeting with President Erdogan, Trump announced the lifting of CAATS Act sanctions related to the S-400 and said the US would “definitely consider” allowing Turkey back into the F-35 program, marking a significant shift from previous policy.

Core Technical and Legal Obstacles Remain: US law and longstanding concerns prohibit operating the advanced F-35 alongside an active Russian S-400 system because of the risk of sensitive stealth and electronic data being collected; Congress has not amended the restrictions, and Turkey has not publicly deactivated or removed the S-400.

Strategic Context and Greece Comparison: Deteriorating US-Iran relations may be increasing Turkey’s geopolitical value to Washington; the article notes Greece operates older inherited S-300 systems while preparing for F-35s, but US officials treat Turkey’s deliberate recent purchase of the newer S-400 as a distinct and more serious case.

On July 7, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump met the media together with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Trump used the occasion to announce that the US would lift the sanctions that had been imposed on Turkey in December 2020 under the CAATS Act (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions).  Turkey had been sanctioned because Erdogan, brushing aside Washington’s express warnings, had gone ahead and purchased the Russian S400 long-range surfacetoair missile system.

Trump was then asked whether Turkey would be allowed to buy the F-35 – the advanced multirole stealth fighter that has become the cornerstone of America’s tactical air power.

“Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we thought would be loyal,” he replied “…so it is something we definitely would consider.” 

That was an astonishing response, given that Turkey is still deploying the S-400, specifically designed as a defense system........

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