The United States announced on 17 July that it was beginning to remove Turkey from the F-35 fighter programme following Ankara’s acquisition of the Russian S-400.

What happened

US officials said the Russian system could not safely coexist with the advanced fighter. Turkey had planned to buy F-35 aircraft, and Turkish companies produced parts for the multinational project.

Why it mattered

The decision required changes to training, procurement and the industrial supply chain. It also deprived Turkey of a central element of its air-force modernization plans.

Context and consequences

Ankara rejected the US position and maintained that technical arrangements could manage the risks. The dispute became one of the allies’ sharpest defence disagreements in years.

Sources