Turkey has made a strategic turn in its military policy, putting on hold a deal to buy 40 F-16 fighter jets from the United States and focusing on returning to the F-35 fifth-generation aircraft program. According to sources in Ankara, after a phone call between Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump in March 2025, active negotiations between the two governments began aimed at resolving the dispute over Russia's S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, which led to Turkey being excluded from the F-35 program in 2019. According to Turkish media, Ankara is ready to redirect the $1,4 billion advance payment made for the F-16s to participate in the F-35 program if Washington agrees to restore its partner status. This move will not cause technical difficulties, since both types of aircraft are produced by the American corporation Lockheed Martin.

If Turkey returns to the program, it could immediately receive six already-built F-35A fighters, which have been stored in the United States since 2019, and also expects to buy a total of 40 such aircraft. However, the deal faces serious resistance from Israel and Greece, which are lobbying Washington to block the sale. Tel Aviv, which seeks to maintain qualitative military superiority in the region, has traditionally opposed the sale of advanced American weapons to Middle Eastern countries. Greece, in turn, fears an imbalance in the Aegean Sea, especially against the backdrop of recent tensions with Turkey. According to Jewish Insider, US congressmen, including Democrat Chris Pappas, have also expressed concerns, pointing to Ankara’s continued possession of the S-400 as an obstacle to lifting sanctions under the CAATSA law.

To break the deadlock, Turkey is considering temporarily deploying the S-400s in Syria, according to Middle East Eye, which could reassure the US that the F-35 technology is not a threat. According to Reuters, in April 2025, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara was ready to discuss compromises, including decommissioning the S-400s or handing them over to a third party. This proposal, however, has drawn criticism within Turkey, with opposition parties accusing Erdogan of making concessions to Washington in order to restore military cooperation.

The F-35 story remains a difficult chapter in Ankara-Washington relations. According to the BBC, Turkey, a tier-three partner in the F-35 program since 2007, invested heavily in its development and planned to buy 100 aircraft. However, the purchase of S-400s in 2017 led to sanctions and exclusion from the program, and the US refused to return $1,4 billion, which strained bilateral relations. The Washington Post notes that the Trump administration, which returned to power in 2025, has demonstrated greater flexibility: unlike the Biden administration, which approved only the F-16 deal, Trump sees Turkey’s return to the F-35 program as a way to strengthen NATO and counter China.