U.S. Reviews Possible F-35 Sale to Turkey Despite S-400 Concerns
Vance says review underway to see how Turkey can get F-35 fighter jets
Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday that the Trump administration is reviewing how the United States could sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, despite Ankara's 2019 purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems.
Vance told reporters that his team is examining what conditions must be met to comply with U.S. law before such a sale could proceed. "Pete and the entire team are reviewing this right now, because there are certain things that we have to certify have happened in order to comply with American law," Vance said, indicating that President Trump has directed the review.
The S-400 acquisition has long complicated U.S.-Turkey defense relations, as the system is incompatible with NATO standards and raises concerns about sharing sensitive F-35 technology with a country operating Russian equipment.
