Turkey is set to hold another round of negotiations with US defense giant Lockheed Martin to resolve a cost dispute over a multibillion-dollar deal for new F-16 fighter jets, according to sources cited by Bloomberg.
To accelerate the deal, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally appealed to US President Donald Trump during their White House meeting in September, sources familiar with the discussions said.
Disagreements threaten progress on Turkey’s F-16 deal
Although the US Congress approved Turkey’s purchase of 40 F-16 Viper jets in February 2024, Ankara has objected to covering the additional costs associated with upgrading the mission computer and building new production lines to address order backlogs. Sources close to the talks said the disagreement remains a key obstacle to finalizing the deal.
Turkey, which is the largest operator of F-16s in the world after the United States, also seeks access to the mission computer’s source code. This would allow Turkish engineers to integrate domestically developed radar and missile systems, a move Washington has so far resisted.
The total value of the agreement remains unclear, but each aircraft typically costs tens of millions of dollars depending on configuration and support packages. Lockheed Martin stated that the F-16 offers “affordable operational and life-cycle costs” and referred further inquiries to the US and Turkish governments. The White House declined to comment, while Turkey’s Defense Ministry has also remained silent.
Broader defense ambitions and sanctions
Turkey’s ambitions extend beyond the F-16 deal. Ankara hopes to eventually acquire 40 F-35 fighters if US congressional sanctions, imposed after Turkey’s 2019 purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system, are lifted.
During the Erdogan–Trump meeting, the US President reportedly expressed openness to reconsidering Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program, although no formal agreement was reached. Ankara has hinted it may compromise on the S-400 issue by allowing a joint technical monitoring mechanism but continues to reject Washington’s demand to remove the system entirely.
Expanding partnerships beyond the US
Turkey’s effort to develop its first domestic fighter jet has faced delays, largely due to its reliance on US-made engines. Meanwhile, regional competitors are advancing: Greece has already ordered F-35s, and this was after acquiring French Rafale jets.
In response, Turkey signed a deal with the United Kingdom last month to purchase twenty Eurofighter Typhoons, with an option for additional units. It also plans to acquire 24 used Typhoons—12 from Qatar and 12 from Oman—with deliveries expected to begin in early 2026, well before the new F-16s arrive around 2030.
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