Turkey has not yet fulfilled the legal requirements necessary to rejoin the F-35 program, the US Department of State makes clear in a letter to Congress dated July 22, 2026, obtained by Kathimerini.
The letter reiterates that Washington’s policy remains unchanged and fully aligned with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and Section 1245 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (FY2020 NDAA).
As stated in the letter, the White House requested that the Department of State respond on the US president’s behalf.
In a response to Democratic Congressman Wesley Bell, the State Department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs stresses that no F-35 aircraft can be transferred to Turkey unless the statutory requirements set out in US law are fully satisfied.
As the letter states, this requires resolving the S-400 issue by ensuring that Turkey no longer possesses the Russian missile defense system or any associated equipment, provides assurances that it will not acquire the system again in the future, and meets all remaining statutory certification requirements. “Turkey has not yet met these conditions,” the department emphasizes.
