Rubio: Turkey Still Sanctioned Over S-400s, F-35 Return “Governed by Law”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Tuesday that Turkey remains under mandatory U.S. sanctions and cannot rejoin the F-35 program, as long as it keeps its Russian-made S-400 missile systems.
The exchange came during Rubio's testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, when Democratic Congresswoman Dina Titus pressed him on recent comments by U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack. Barrack had publicly suggested Ankara should be brought back into the F-35 program, a position Titus argued directly contradicts existing U.S. law and longstanding American policy.
"Right now we don't have that option, because the matter is governed by legislative provisions" — Rubio
Titus asked Rubio to clarify whether Turkey could legally acquire either F-15s or F-35s. Rubio acknowledged Turkey was originally a participant in the F-35 program before being removed following its purchase of the S-400 system from Russia.
When Titus pushed back and noted that Turkey still holds its S-400 batteries and therefore remains subject to mandatory sanctions under CAATSA, Rubio agreed without hesitation. His response was straightforward: the issue is governed by law. "Right now we don't have that option, because the matter is governed by legislative provisions, both from NDAA provisions and other provisions of U.S. law," he said.
Turkey was formally removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after the S-400 acquisition triggered automatic sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. Ankara has never deactivated or returned the Russian systems, meaning the legal barrier to any F-35 deal remains fully in place regardless of what U.S. diplomats say publicly.
The confirmation carries direct implications for Greece and NATO's eastern flank, where any Turkish rearmament with fifth-generation fighters would shift the regional air power balance significantly.
