Nicosia, Cyprus. Donald Trump’s suggestion that he may reconsider Turkey’s return to the F-35 fighter jet programme has renewed debate in the Eastern Mediterranean over Washington’s approach to Ankara. The discussion follows Turkey’s removal from the programme in 2019 after it purchased the Russian-made S-400 air defence system.
Turkey’s role in Western security
For Cyprus, the renewed discussion raises questions not only about whether Turkey could eventually receive the aircraft, but also about Ankara’s position within the Western security architecture.
“The F-35 debate certainly reflects Washington’s evolving judgement about Turkey’s strategic indispensability, even as deep disagreements persist,” Emmanuel Karagiannis, professor of international security at King’s College London’s Department of Defence Studies, told the Cyprus Mail.
“It is less about the aircraft and more about Turkey’s place in the Western security order after a decade of turbulence.”
Strategic considerations
Karagiannis said Washington’s portrayal of Ankara as strategically essential for Nato, regional stability and its posture towards Iran indicated a realignment.
“It is driven by military leverage and geography rather than shared political norms, reinforcing a largely transactional partnership,” he said.
Turkey’s strategic importance, extending from the Black Sea to the Middle East, underpins that assessment, he added.
“Washington relies heavily on Turkey’s control of the Straits and its ability to influence crises from Syria to the Gulf,” Karagiannis said. “Ankara’s geography and military weight make it indispensable for containing Russia, stabilising Ukraine’s maritime lifelines and managing Iran-related escalation.”
Continuing concerns
Karagiannis said strategic necessity had not removed the concerns that resulted in Turkey’s exclusion from the multinational fighter programme following its acquisition of the S-400 system.
