The US State Department has reiterated that Washington’s position on Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system remains unchanged, stressing that any transfer of advanced US fighter aircraft must fully comply with American law.
In a letter to Congressman Chris Pappas responding to concerns over potential F-16 and F-35 fighter jet sales to Ankara, the State Department underscored the Trump administration’s commitment to safeguarding US defense and intelligence interests, including strict adherence to the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and Section 1245 of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. “The Trump administration is fully committed to protecting US defense and intelligence interests and to complying with US law, including CAATSA. The US position on Turkey’s acquisition and continued possession of the Russian S-400 air defense system has not changed and the requirements for Turkey to acquire F-35 aircraft are clear and fully consistent with Section 1245 of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act,” a senior bureau official in the State Department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs said.
At the same time, the State Department highlighted the strategic importance of the US-Turkey defense relationship within NATO. It noted that the proposed F-16 sale to Turkey was formally notified to Congress in January 2024 in accordance with the Arms Export Control Act and that the congressional review period was completed the same month. Describing Turkey as the holder of NATO’s second-largest F-16 fleet after the United States, the department pointed to Ankara’s contributions to alliance security, including air policing missions in the Baltic states and the deployment of a Turkish AWACS aircraft to Lithuania following Russia’s violation of Lithuanian airspace.
While reaffirming respect for congressional oversight of arms transfers, the State Department said it continues to engage Ankara on resolving the S-400 issue, while seeking to balance NATO readiness with the legal constraints imposed by US law. “We respect congressional oversight of arms transfers and welcome continued dialogue on how to balance NATO readiness with US law and policy constraints. In addition, we continue to engage Ankara on resolving the S-400 issue while strengthening areas where our NATO cooperation remains critical.”
The letter reiterates long-standing US policy while underscoring the importance of compliance with existing legal frameworks and US policy. It also aligns with remarks made days earlier by US Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack, who for the first time linked in such explicit terms the issue of Turkey’s possession – rather than merely its use – of Russian systems to the prospects of resolving the impasse.
The State Department’s letter was sent in response to a letter submitted in September by a bipartisan group of US lawmakers, who voiced strong opposition to any move by the Trump administration to proceed with potential F-16 or F-35 sales to Turkey. The lawmakers warned that such a step would violate US law and undermine national security unless Ankara first meets strict statutory requirements related to its possession of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system.
In the letter, led by Pappas and signed by 19 members of Congress, the lawmakers argue that Turkey’s continued ownership of the S-400 poses a direct threat to sensitive US military technology and was the reason Ankara was removed from the F-35 program and sanctioned under CAATSA. They stress that Section 1245 of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act imposes mandatory conditions on any transfer of F-35 aircraft to Turkey, including formal certification to Congress that Turkey no longer possesses the S-400 and has committed not to acquire similar Russian systems in the future.
The lawmakers caution that no such certification has been submitted and warn that proceeding regardless would constitute a clear violation of US law. They also caution against any attempt to circumvent congressional intent through indirect transfers. Placing the issue in a broader regional context, the signatories contrast Turkey’s conduct with that of key US partners such as Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, and urge the administration to uphold existing legal restrictions before moving forward with any F-35-related engagement with Turkey.