Turkey Eyes F-35 Comeback, Dumps Russia's S-400 – Will India Buy The Abandoned Missiles?
Flying home after the summit, the Turkish president said his country had not closed the door on the F-35 fighter jet. His comments came days after Turkey announced an upgrade to its domestic air defense network, the so-called 'Steel Dome'.
Trump later confirmed what Erdogan hinted at. The U.S. president told a small group of Republican donors that Turkey's return to the F-35 fold was 'being worked out'.
He did not give a timeline but said conversations had moved into the technical phase.
The F-35 story has been a sensitive one for both sides. In 2019, Turkey took delivery of a Russian S-400 air defense system. That $2.5 billion deal led to U.S. sanctions. The Pentagon froze Turkey out of the F-35 consortium. Diplomats on both ends called it a low point.
Now, the mood is shifting.
Trump believes the impasse can be resolved. Speaking off the record with aides after the summit, he reportedly said Turkey's 'signals are encouraging' and that 'we have got momentum'.
Turkey has not activated the S-400s. They remain locked up in a military base, with their future uncertain. That may be the olive branch Washington needs.
A former U.S. official familiar with the talks called the change in tone 'a huge reversal'. The official said Turkey may be willing to cut its losses on the S-400s to re-enter the Western tech ecosystem.
On June 29, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said sanctions on Turkey's defense sector might be lifted by the end of the year. He told Anadolu that both Erdogan and Trump were 'pushing for resolution'.
Insiders now say Ankara could be back in the F-35 loop within months. That path would require Turkey to mothball its S-400s permanently or sell them to a third country.
Names being floated? Pakistan. Even India.
There is no confirmation yet. But Erdogan's remarks suggest the S-400 deal may have run its course.
For his part, Trump sees the F-35 not as a sale but as a strategic bridge. One that can still link Ankara back to Washington.
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