The U.S. State Department informed Congress on July 22 that Turkey has not met legal requirements to receive or rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program, citing both Moscow ties and ongoing concerns about Hamas's use of Turkish financial networks to funnel weapons funding.
In a letter to Democratic Congressman Wesley Bell responding to a White House inquiry, the State Department Bureau of Legislative Affairs outlined three conditions Turkey must satisfy before any F-35 transfer or program reinstatement can occur under U.S. law, including the CAATSA sanctions regime and Section 1245 of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
The conditions are: Turkey must no longer possess the Russian S-400 air defense system or related equipment and personnel; must provide assurances it will not reacquire the S-400 or similar Russian systems; and must meet all remaining statutory certification requirements. "Turkey has not yet met these conditions," the letter states explicitly.
The State Department said discussions with Ankara on resolving the S-400 issue are ongoing, but any resolution must be "transparent, lawful, and consistent with U.S. national security interests."
Beyond the Russian weapons issue, the letter reaffirms U.S. concerns over Turkey's relationship with Hamas. The State Department acknowledged that Turkey used contacts with Hamas's political leadership to help secure acceptance of a U.S. peace plan for Gaza and advance the ceasefire's first phase, positioning Turkey as a founding member of a related peace board.
However, the letter states that the U.S. "continues to have concerns" about Hamas's use of informal financial networks and unlicensed money exchange houses in Turkey to access funds for the group. "The U.S. remains committed to disrupting these illicit financing streams and continues imposing sanctions on Hamas-related entities, including sham charities channeling funds to the group's military wing," the letter says.
The State Department described Turkey as an important NATO ally that has supported U.S. efforts on Russia-Ukraine, Azerbaijan-Armenia, Gaza counterterrorism, and counter-ISIS operations. The department said the U.S. will continue engaging Turkey on shared interests "while holding it accountable when its actions undermine U.S. interests."
The formal notification comes amid earlier statements from President Trump suggesting openness to F-35 sales or sanctions relief for Turkey, underscoring the gap between executive flexibility and congressional restrictions on weapons transfers.
