Vice President JD Vance conducts a podcast interview at the White House. Vance has suggested that the United States is still interested in an F-35 sale to Turkey, despite its continued possession of Russian air defense systems. (The White House)

The Trump White House Keeps Dangling the F-35 in Front of Turkey

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This week, Vice President JD Vance claimed that the Pentagon was “reviewing” a sale of the F-35 to Turkey, even as US law clearly forbids it under current conditions.

Six years ago next month, NATO member Turkey was famously expelled from the F-35 Lightning II program for adopting the Russian-made S-400 Triumf air defense system. Washington and NATO officials made clear to Ankara that the two platforms were not compatible and Turkey’s use of the Russian anti-aircraft system would compromise the security of the fifth-generation stealth fighter. As a result of the S-400 acquisition, Turkey also faced harsh sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Lifting those sanctions has been another top priority for the Turkish government, one that goes well beyond the F-35.

In the years since its expulsion, Ankara has attempted to find a way back into the program. It has found an unlikely ally in the administration of President Donald Trump, who was in office during Turkey’s first expulsion in 2019.

Trump administration officials have since hinted that they were amenable to an........

© The National Interest