Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ defence ministry said it is monitoring Turkey’s application to participate in the F-35 fighter jet programme, as the US ambassador to Ankara said the issue could be resolved within four to six months.
US envoy comments in Istanbul
Speaking on a panel in Istanbul, US ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack said the United States will not sell F-35 jets to Turkey, which he said is instead planning to purchase Eurofighters.
Barrack said President Donald Trump had called the situation “crazy,” adding that Turkey has a significant defence industry, including a domestic drone industry led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son-in-law Selcuk Bayraktar, supplying Ukraine and supporting Turkey’s own jet programmes.
Cyprus defence ministry response
Speaking to Cyprus Mail, the defence ministry said “the matter is entirely at the disposal of the US government. Cyprus is monitoring the situation closely and will act accordingly if developments affect our national security or regional stability.”
S-400 cited as key obstacle
Barrack said the main obstacle has been Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system, which he said is now inactive.
“The problem with Turkey was the S-400, I believe that these issues will be resolved in the next 4 to 6 months,” he said.
He added that Turkey has four F-35s stored in California and participated in fuselage assembly, but “they don’t have access” to the aircraft.
Trump-Erdogan relationship and legal position
Barrack described the relationship between Trump and Erdogan as strong, saying the two leaders had a bilateral meeting at the White House and “resolved most of the ongoing issues, including the S-400.”
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reaffirmed that Turkey will not receive F-35 jets under American law while Russian military systems remain in its arsenal.
What impact could changes to Turkey’s status in the F-35 programme have on Cyprus’ national security and regional stability?
