F-35s for Turkey, ever further away: Athens says Ankara fails to meet the conditions

Turkey will not return to the F-35 fighter jet program: that was the message of a senior Greek diplomatic source, as eKathimerini reports. According to the same source, Ankara must first prove it no longer owns the Russian S-400 air defense system.

The U.S. legal path remains very restrictive, the diplomatic source tells eKathimerini: Turkey’s return would require changes to American legislation, including the National Defense Authorization Act.

Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program after buying Russian S-400s in 2019, a decision that continues to weigh on its defense relations with the United States.

The same source stressed that Turkey will have no role in European defense mechanisms as long as it maintains its threat of war (“casus belli”) against Greece.

Greece, meanwhile, expects its first F-35s in 2028–early 2030s, with 20 jets ordered and an option for up to 40, strengthening its air advantage in the region.