Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
By Lena Argiri
Turkey has not yet fulfilled the legal requirements necessary to rejoin the F-35 program, the US Department of State makes clear in a letter to Congress dated July 22, 2026, obtained by Kathimerini Greece.
The letter reiterates that Washington’s policy remains unchanged and fully aligned with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and Section 1245 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (FY2020 NDAA).
As stated in the letter, the White House requested that the Department of State respond on the US president’s behalf.
In a response to Democratic Congressman Wesley Bell, the State Department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs stresses that no F-35 aircraft can be transferred to Turkey unless the statutory requirements set out in US law are fully satisfied.
As the letter states, this requires resolving the S-400 issue by ensuring that Turkey no longer possesses the Russian missile defense system or any associated equipment, provides assurances that it will not acquire the system again in the future, and meets all remaining statutory certification requirements. “Turkey has not yet met these conditions,” the department emphasizes.
The State Department further emphasizes its commitment to ensuring that any process to resolve the S-400 issue is “transparent, lawful, and consistent with the US national security interests.” At the same time, however, the letter confirms that discussions between Washington and Ankara aimed at resolving the dispute remain ongoing.
Referring to President Donald Trump’s recent bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, the Department states that the United States “will continue to engage Ankara on resolving the S-400 issue, while also strengthening our NATO cooperation.”
Particular attention is also given to the US-Turkey relationship. According to the letter, bilateral ties are grounded in “alignment on shared security concerns and balanced bilateral trade,” while emphasizing that the United States remains committed to engaging Turkey on areas of mutual interest “while holding Turkey accountable when its actions undermine US interests.”
The State Department also credits Ankara with supporting a number of US diplomatic and regional initiatives. According to the letter, Turkey has backed US peace efforts involving Russia and Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Gaza, while also contributing to counter-ISIS operations and regional counterterrorism efforts.
While reaffirming its longstanding concerns over Turkey’s relationship with Hamas, the State Department nevertheless presents Ankara as having played a constructive role in recent diplomatic efforts concerning Gaza.
Even though Turkey’s ties to Hamas and Erdogan’s public support for the designated terrorist organization have long drawn sharp criticism on Capitol Hill and in Washington, the State Department notes that Ankara leveraged its relationship with Hamas’ political leadership “to secure acceptance of the [US] president’s peace plan for Gaza and move to the first phase of the ceasefire.” It further states that Turkey subsequently became “a founding member of the Board of Peace.”
The letter also contains an explicit warning regarding Hamas’ financial infrastructure operating from Turkish territory. According to the State Department, the United States continues to impose sanctions on Hamas-related entities, including sham charities that channel funds to the organization’s military wing.
“Hamas’ use of informal financial networks and unlicensed exchange houses in Turkey to access funds remains a concern, and we are committed to disrupting these illicit financing streams,” the letter states.
The State Department concludes by emphasizing the importance it attaches to its partnership with Congress, pledging to continue consulting and working closely with lawmakers on developments concerning US-Turkey relations, the F-35 program and regional security issues.
