Turkey puts the brakes on F-16 deal in favour of F-35s

Turkey has slowed down a multibillion-dollar F-16 fighter jet deal with the United States as Ankara shifts its focus towards rejoining the next generation F-35 programme, two sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.

According to a readout released by the Turkish presidency, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to reconsider Ankara’s request to purchase F-35 fighter jets during a phone call in March.

Following the call, both governments began negotiations to resolve the key obstacle that led to Turkey’s exclusion from the programme in 2019: Ankara’s acquisition of Russian-made S-400 air defence systems.

Turkey had been one of the main partners in the F-35 consortium and was responsible for producing certain components. The US currently holds six F-35s in storage that were built for Turkey and fully paid for, but have been in limbo since 2019.

Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said legal experts from both sides were examining viable options that could enable the Trump administration to lift the S-400-related sanctions.

This could pave the way for broader defence engagements, including the purchase of $20bn worth of spare parts and ammunition.

Last year, Turkey scaled down its F-16 procurement plan, opting out of 79 modernisation kits and instead committing to purchase 40 F-16 Vipers along with associated ammunition, reducing the total value of the deal from $23bn to $7bn.

“Turkey has put the brakes on the F-16 deal,” one source told MEE. “The down payment Ankara made could potentially be rerouted toward the F-35 programme, if Washington agrees to readmit Turkey.”

The source added that Ankara does not plan to cancel the F-16 deal altogether but wants to prioritise the F-35s.

Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said in November that Ankara had made a $1.4bn initial payment for the F-16s.

A second source noted that since both the F-16s and F-35s are manufactured by the US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, redirecting the payment would be feasible.

“There’s a long production queue for F-16s. Ankara might have to wait years before receiving its first jets,” the source said, pointing to Bulgaria, which waited three years for the first delivery of its F-16s.

'Turkey needs every aerial asset it can field across its multiple theatres of operation'

- Source

If Turkey is readmitted into the F-35 programme, it could immediately take ownership of the six aircraft already built for it. Guler said in November during a parliamentary meeting that Ankara aims to buy in total 40 F-35s from the US. 

This move is also strategically significant in the context of the balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean. Greece is set to receive its first F-35s in 2028, while Turkey’s aging F-16 fleet continues to present operational challenges.

Turkey currently operates multiple air bases across the region, with plans to expand further into Syria in the coming months.

“Turkey needs every aerial asset it can field across its multiple theatres of operation,” the second source said, reiterating that Ankara’s intent is not to cancel the F-16 deal but to prioritise the F-35 programme if there is tangible progress.

However, regional actors - chiefly Israel, but also Greece - are lobbying Washington to block the sale. Israel has long maintained a de facto veto over US arms sales to Middle Eastern countries to preserve its qualitative military edge.

The US-Turkey dispute over the F-35 dates back to 2019, when Ankara purchased the S-400 system from Russia, prompting its removal from the F-35 programme. In 2020, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Turkey over the acquisition.

MEE earlier this month reported that Ankara is considering the temporary deployment of the S-400 systems to Syria - specifically to the T4 or Palmyra air bases - to secure air space during base reconstruction, which could help lifting the sanctions. However, no final decision has been made, and the move would require Russia’s approval.

Middle East Eye has asked the Turkish defence ministry for comment.