Pentagon may consider Turkey rejoining F-35 if it ditches Russian missile system

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said today that the United States would “consider” letting Turkey back into the F-35 program if it got rid of the Russian S-400 system.
A Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet is seen in its hanger at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland October 28, 2015. REUTERS/Gary Cameron - GF20000036669
A Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet is seen in its hangar at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, Oct. 28, 2015. - REUTERS/Gary Cameron
JackDetsch.jpeg
Jack Detsch
@JackDetsch_ALM

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said today the United States would “consider” allowing Turkey back into the F-35 program if Ankara formally abandoned the Russian S-400 system.

In the days leading up to the Donald Trump administration’s decision to kick Turkey out of the fighter jet program in July, after Turkey took in the $2.5 billion S-400, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had insisted that Ankara could duck US sanctions by moving the air defense system out of the country.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.

Videos

See more