Turkey’s renewed push to acquire six F-35 fighter jets it paid for before being expelled from the program in 2019 is raising fresh questions in Athens about the future military balance in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
Ankara’s latest position appears more limited than previous discussions about a full return to the multinational fighter program. Turkish officials are now focusing on the delivery of six aircraft that were reportedly manufactured before Turkey’s removal from the program following its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently expressed optimism that a solution could be reached, suggesting the aircraft remain available pending a political agreement between Ankara and Washington.
The central obstacle remains unchanged.
US sanctions imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) prohibit Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program while the Russian-made S-400 missile system remains in Turkish possession.
Recent reports indicate Washington and Ankara are examining possible formulas involving the transfer, storage, or disposal of the S-400 systems, although no agreement has been publicly confirmed.
Why the issue matters for Greece
The prospect of Turkish F-35s carries significance for Greece because Athens has built much of its long-term air superiority strategy around advanced Western aircraft and next-generation capabilities.
Greece has already secured approval from the United States for the purchase of F-35 fighter jets and is expected to become the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean to operate the fifth-generation aircraft. Athens is also operating French-made Rafale fighters, giving the Hellenic Air Force a combination of advanced fourth-generation and fifth-generation capabilities.
A Turkish return to the F-35 ecosystem would not eliminate Greece’s advantages overnight, defense analysts note, but it could narrow the technological gap that emerged after Turkey’s exclusion from the program in 2019.
Athens has invested heavily in creating a qualitative edge rather than relying solely on numerical superiority, particularly as tensions between the two NATO allies periodically resurface over maritime boundaries, airspace disputes, and energy exploration rights.
Congress remains the key player
Even if Ankara and Washington find a solution to the S-400 issue, significant political hurdles remain in the United States.
Any move toward restoring Turkish access to the F-35 program would likely face close scrutiny in Congress, where bipartisan concerns over Turkey’s strategic direction, relations with Russia, and regional policies remain strong.
Greek officials have repeatedly emphasized that existing congressional restrictions are still in force and that no formal decision has been taken to lift them.
As a result, discussions about Turkish F-35 deliveries remain largely political rather than operational.
A NATO question as much as a Greek one
The debate extends beyond Greece and Turkey.
Turkey possesses NATO’s second-largest military and occupies a strategically critical position between Europe, the Middle East, and the Black Sea. Supporters of a Turkish return to the F-35 program argue that reintegrating Ankara into Western defense structures would strengthen the alliance at a time of growing instability across several regions.
Critics, however, continue to view the coexistence of advanced American stealth technology and Russian air defense systems as an unacceptable security risk.
For Athens, the outcome will be closely watched not simply because of six aircraft, but because it may signal the future direction of US-Turkish relations and the evolving security architecture of the Eastern Mediterranean.
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