The United States and Turkey are engaged in discussions over Ankara’s long-blocked purchase of F-35 stealth fighters, according to U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, signaling the most significant movement in the years-long impasse since Turkey’s acquisition of Russia’s S-400 air defense system.

In a statement posted on X, Barrack said Washington and Ankara have entered “the most fruitful conversations we have had on this topic in nearly a decade,” citing what he described as a markedly improved rapport between President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“As laid out in U.S. law, Turkey must no longer operate nor possess the S-400 system to return to the F-35 program,” Barrack wrote, underscoring the statutory red line that forced Turkey out of the multinational fighter program in 2019.

Still, the ambassador hinted at a fresh diplomatic opening after months of quieter engagement between the two governments. “The positive relationship between President Trump and President Erdogan has created a new atmosphere of cooperation,” he said.

“Our hope is that these talks will yield a breakthrough in the coming months that meets both the security requirements of the United States and Turkey.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)