Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gümrükçü has voiced renewed hope for Türkiye’s potential return to the F-35 program, citing greater confidence in the current U.S. administration and the prospect of deeper bilateral defense cooperation.
In recent remarks, Gümrükçü highlighted a significant shift in Türkiye-U.S. relations regarding defense matters.
“This time we really feel closer. We feel that we might be able to resolve this issue and leave that problem behind ourselves,”
he said, referring to the longstanding F-35 dispute. He added:
“I would say, because for the first time ever, really for the last 10 to 15 years, we have full confidence in the United States administration that when we reach a deal, they’re going to deliver their part of the deal as well.”
The Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized that the discussions go beyond simply reacquiring F-35 jets, noting Türkiye’s prior role in the program.
“And it’s not only about selling F-35s or returning Türkiye to the F-35 program, as we used to be a part of. Of course, it is about forging a much deeper defense industry cooperation between the United States and Türkiye, taking into account our comparative advantages, taking into account the importance of this issue. So that is what makes us more hopeful than anything else.”
Gümrükçü also addressed the background of Türkiye’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, framing it as a pragmatic response to urgent security needs rather than a strategic pivot away from the West.
He explained that Türkiye’s search for a modern air defense system began in 2010, with multiple tenders issued over the following years. According to Gümrükçü, U.S. Patriot systems consistently emerged as the most expensive option and offered limited cooperation:
“When you remember how we ended up by buying the S-400, I’m going to put it into context there as well. The whole process of us acquiring an air defense system started in 2010. We opened many tenders—I think three or four tenders were opened in the first seven years or so—and every time the U.S. offer turned out to be the most expensive. That’s understandable because Patriot systems are the best on the market right now. But they also turned out to be the least cooperative in terms of offsets, possibilities for technology sharing, or co-production of any of the components. More importantly, they turned out to be the least reliable as well, because every time we discussed with our U.S. colleagues whether they could guarantee the delivery of these urgently needed air defense systems, they said they were a democratic country with congressional oversight and there was no way they could guarantee delivery within a certain period of time. They also said that Türkiye’s image in Congress was not good and that we had to work not only with the administration but with Congress as well.”
The situation became critical following the 2016 failed coup attempt in Türkiye, when some allies withdrew their deployed Patriot systems, creating an immediate gap in air defense capabilities.
“When we found ourselves in 2016–2017, especially after the failed coup attempt in Türkiye, some of our allies decided to redeploy their Patriot systems that were deployed in Türkiye. We found ourselves in 2016–2017 with a very urgent need to fill an immediate gap in our air defense architecture. That’s why we were compelled to buy this S-400 as an immediate gap filler.”
Gümrükçü stressed that the S-400 purchase was a one-time measure and does not reflect Türkiye’s long-term defense priorities:
“But in no way did that mean that our quest for an air defense system stopped there. As I mentioned, this is a one-off procurement. This is an immediate gap filler. Our commitment is, and will continue to be, to procure the air defense system that will be interoperable with the rest of the Alliance.”
The statements underscore Ankara’s desire to strengthen defense ties with the United States while explaining the circumstances that led to the S-400 acquisition. Analysts see this as a potential opening for renewed dialogue on Türkiye’s role in Western defense structures.
