The U.S. State Department has informed Congress that Turkey still does not meet the legal conditions required to return to the F-35 fighter jet program, according to an official letter obtained by Walla. The July 22 letter was sent in response to an inquiry from Rep. Wesley Bell at the White House’s request and on behalf of President Donald Trump.
The letter states that U.S. policy remains unchanged and continues to comply with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, known as CAATSA, and Section 1245 of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Before any F-35 aircraft can be transferred to Turkey, Ankara must fully satisfy the requirements established under U.S. law.
Chief among those requirements is resolving the dispute over Turkey’s Russian-made S-400 air-defense system. Ankara must completely relinquish possession of the system and all associated equipment, provide assurances that it will not acquire the system again and meet the remaining statutory certification requirements. “Turkey has not yet met these conditions,” the State Department wrote.
The State Department emphasized that any process for resolving the S-400 issue must be “transparent, lawful, and consistent with U.S. national security interests.” Following the recent meeting between President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Washington said it would continue discussions with Turkey on the dispute while strengthening cooperation within NATO.
The letter describes U.S.-Turkey relations as being based on shared security interests and balanced bilateral trade. Washington said it would continue working with Ankara in areas of mutual interest while “holding Turkey accountable when its actions undermine U.S. interests.”
Regarding Gaza, the State Department said that despite longstanding U.S. concerns over Turkey’s relationship with Hamas, Ankara played a “key role” in advancing President Trump’s Gaza peace plan. Turkey used its contacts with Hamas’ political leadership to help secure acceptance of the plan and advance the first phase of the ceasefire, before becoming a founding member of the “Board of Peace.” The letter also credited Turkey with continuing to contribute to regional stability, including in Syria.
However, the State Department stressed that the United States continues imposing sanctions on Hamas-linked entities, including charities used to transfer money to the terrorist organization’s military wing. It said Hamas’ use of informal financial networks and unlicensed exchange houses in Turkey to access funds “remains a concern,” adding that Washington remains committed to disrupting those illicit financing channels.
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