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The US government's position on Turkey's return to the F-35 program remains unchanged, as, as the State Department's Office of Legislative Affairs emphasizes, the US remains fully committed to implementing the CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions) law.
This legislation prevents Turkey from purchasing F-35 fighter jets due to its possession of the Russian S-400 system.
"The US position on Turkey's purchase and continued possession of the Russian S-400 air defense system has not changed, and the requirements for Turkey to purchase US F-35 aircraft are clear and fully consistent with Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDA) of 2020," it notes.
The specific report was made by Paul Guaglianone, a senior official in the State Department's Office of Legislative Affairs, and came in response to a letter sent on September 25 by Representative Chris Pope, along with 19 other representatives, to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The lawmakers' letter came amid reports that talks between the U.S. government and Turkey on Turkey's reintegration into the F-35 program were at an advanced stage. In the September letter, the lawmakers expressed their objections and concerns about the potential sale of F-35 and F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.
In its response, the State Department notes that the United States has formally informed the Turkish government of the current legal and policy framework governing the purchase of Russian defense equipment and the implications this has for the possibility of procuring F-35 fighter jets. At the same time, it is noted that Washington has made clear its dissatisfaction with Ankara's procurement of the S-400 system, as well as the legal obligations arising from the amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the CAATSA law.
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