The administration of US President Donald Trump is discussing an option in which Turkey will be asked to disable elements of the Russian S-400 air defense systems in order to restore Ankara’s access to the F-35 fighter purchase program, Semafor writes, citing a source familiar with the discussions.
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According to the newspaper, Washington believes that such a move could remove one of the main legal obstacles to the sale of the F-35 to Turkey. We are talking about the restrictions that the US Congress imposed after Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400. The final decision in the administration has not yet been made, Semafor notes.
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“One of the options under consideration suggests that the Turkish government will be asked to disable elements of Russian air defense systems in order to restore Ankara’s access to F-35 fighter jets,” the article says.
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The very idea of actually disabling the Turkish S-400 is not new and has already been considered by the administration before. According to the publication, the repeated discussion of this option indicates progress on the issue of potential deliveries of the F-35 to Turkey.
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However, this option may cause resistance in the US Congress, Semafor writes. According to the newspaper, a number of lawmakers from both parties believe that current restrictions prohibit Turkey from not only using the S-400, but also owning these systems.
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Trump said yesterday at a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit that relations between Washington and Ankara are probably better than ever. He also made it clear that the United States intends to lift sanctions imposed on Turkey in 2020 due to the purchase of Russian S-400 systems.
