Turkey pushes for F-35 reinstatement and U.S. sanctions removal in high-level talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday as Ankara seeks to mend ties with Washington and push for the removal of U.S. sanctions on Turkey. 

The talks will also focus on Turkey’s bid to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program, from which it was expelled following its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

The high-level diplomatic visit comes just days after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which a senior Trump aide described as "transformational".

One of Turkey’s top priorities in Washington is securing reentry into the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, a multi-national effort led by the U.S. Ankara was expelled from the program in 2019 over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense system, which Washington argued posed a security risk to NATO’s defense capabilities.

Turkey had originally ordered over 100 F-35 jets before its removal, and its defense industry had been integrated into the supply chain of the cutting-edge fighter jet program. Since then, Ankara has repeatedly lobbied for reinstatement, arguing that its removal was unjust and detrimental to NATO unity.

Sanctions Relief: A Key Demand

Another key issue on Fidan’s agenda is the removal of U.S. sanctions imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). These measures, introduced in 2020, targeted Turkey’s defense sector and key government officials in retaliation for the S-400 purchase.

Ankara has long insisted that it was forced to buy the Russian system after Washington refused to sell its Patriot missile defense system to Turkey on favorable terms. 

Fidan will argue that lifting the sanctions would help reset U.S.-Turkey relations and strengthen NATO unity at a time of global instability.

Turkey’s outreach to Washington signals a broader effort to redefine its foreign policy posture under the Trump administration. Relations between the two NATO allies have been strained in recent years over issues including:
- The S-400 crisis and subsequent U.S. sanctions
- Turkey’s military operations in Syria
- Disagreements over support for Kurdish forces in the region
- U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt

The Fidan-Rubio meeting will serve as an early test of whether a new era of cooperation between Ankara and Washington is possible. Turkey remains a key NATO ally, and both sides have mutual strategic interests in countering regional threats and fostering economic cooperation.

What’s Next?

If Turkey secures a commitment from Washington to reconsider sanctions relief and a possible path back to the F-35 program, it would mark a significant diplomatic breakthrough. However, skepticism remains in U.S. defense and intelligence circles, where concerns about Turkey’s commitment to NATO standards persist.

With Fidan’s high-stakes visit now underway, all eyes will be on whether Washington signals a shift in its stance or maintains its hardline approach toward Ankara.