The Biden Administration Should Not Sell F-35s to Turkey

The Greek daily Kathimerini on September 22 disclosed high-level negotiations between Washington and Ankara to sell U.S. F-35 joint strike fighters to Turkey. Equipping Turkey with a fifth-generation stealth fighter capability would deliver an unwarranted reward at a time when Turkey continues to flirt with Russia, challenge neighbors’ territorial integrity, and undermine efforts to bring Middle East peace.

On July 1-2, 2024, Assistant Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander and National Security Council Senior Director Michael Carpenter visited Ankara. The U.S. embassy said they sought to “develop additional areas for increased partnership.” Now, Kathimerini reports they actually offered to sell F-35s to Turkey in exchange for Turkey either turning its S-400s over to the United States or transferring them to U.S. control at the Incirlik Air Base. They reached no deal, but discussions continue.

The Trump administration removed Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan purchased the Russian S-400 air defense system. U.S. officials objected to the purchase because integrating the Russian system would compromise NATO systems. Even standalone, the S-400s could pose a threat by enabling Russia to learn to track and gather data on F-35s. After Erdogan refused to back down, the United States then imposed sanctions under the provisions of Countering of America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The Biden administration subsequently agreed to sell Turkey F-16s and F-16 upgrade kits in a consolation deal that coincided with Erdogan lifting his objections to Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

It is unclear why Biden officials seek to revive the F-35 deal. The Turkish daily Cumhuriyet reports that Turkish officials have floated two resolutions to the S-400 disagreement short of allowing the United States to take full possession: The first would place them in the U.S.-leased part of the Incirlik Air Base in Adana. The second would warehouse the S-400s under Turkish control but under U.S. verification.

Selling Turkey F-35s would harm core NATO security by allowing Turkey to acquire a strategic capability that it might employ to undermine U.S., European, and NATO interests. Turkey champions and provides material support to Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and client of Iran whose actions destabilize the Middle East. The United States has also sanctioned Turkish entities for supporting Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine. Turkey aspires to join groupings like BRICS and organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that seek to undermine the U.S. dollar and rules-based world order to the benefit of Russia and China. Finally, Turkey consistently threatens fellow NATO allies like Greece and European Union member Cyprus.     

Rather than reward bad Turkish behavior, the United States should be firm: If Turkey sincerely wants to contribute to NATO’s defense, it should donate the S-400 batteries to the United States and Ukraine to allow U.S. technicians to study them and augment Ukraine’s efforts to expel Russia from Ukrainian territory. The Pentagon counts on the F-35 to defend U.S. national security for decades. As such, U.S. authorities should allow only its most trusted allies to access the jet and its technology. Turkey no longer meets that standard. 

Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where Sophia Epley is an intern. Sophia is also a student at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. For more analysis from Sinan and Sophia, please subscribe HERE. Follow Sinan on X @SinanCiddi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.