President Donald Trump announced plans to lift U.S. sanctions on Turkey and signaled he is prepared to move forward with the long-stalled sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets. This decision marks a dramatic reversal in U.S. policy toward the NATO ally, which was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019 for purchasing a Russian missile defense system.

Background on the F-35 Program

Turkey was removed from the multinational F-35 program after taking delivery of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. The U.S. argued that operating the Kremlin-built system alongside America’s most advanced stealth fighter could expose sensitive U.S. technology. Congress subsequently imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

Despite existing legal restrictions, Trump indicated he was open to selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. The president’s remarks represent his clearest indication yet that he intends to restore defense ties with Turkey, building on months of efforts to revive military cooperation with one of NATO’s largest armed forces.

Concerns and Opposition

Congress has long been one of the biggest obstacles to restoring Turkey’s access to the F-35, with bipartisan lawmakers arguing that Ankara should not receive America’s most advanced fighter aircraft while it continues to possess the Russian-made S-400 air defense system and pursues policies they say run counter to U.S. interests.

The Pentagon has maintained that the S-400’s sophisticated radar could collect data on the F-35’s radar signature and electronic profile during routine operations, potentially allowing Russia to better detect and defeat the aircraft in a future conflict if that information were shared with Moscow.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.