Turkey's defence ministry sends US letter as talks continue on six stored F‑35 jets
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Deputy defence minister Alpaslan Kavaklıoğlu said negotiations on delivery of the first six F‑35 aircraft are progressing positively and that the Turkish Ministry of National Defence has sent a letter to the United States regarding the issue.
The six aircraft, designated AT‑1 and AT‑6, are stored at Edwards Air Force Base in California; Turkey has paid approximately $1.4 billion for the programme, which originally planned to acquire 30 aircraft in the first phase and 100 in total.
U.S. restrictions under CAATSA sanctions and the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act §1245 prevent F‑35 transfer until Turkey provides assurances it no longer possesses or will acquire S‑400 systems.