On July 17, 2019, the United States announced that it will be excluding Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program in response to Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air and missile defense system. Washington suspects that Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 could allow Russia to gather data on the capabilities of the F-35. Components of the S-400 began arriving in Turkey in mid-July 2019 and are expected to be fully operational by April 2020.
Prior to Washington’s decision, Turkey had been actively involved in the F-35 program. Turkish firms had been involved in producing F-35 components, Ankara had ordered more than 100 of the F-35 fighter jets, and Turkish pilots had already begun flight training for the F-35 in the United States. Turkey's Foreign Minister called the decision unfair and said the move was against the spirit of the NATO alliance, of which Turkey is a member.
