Amendments to the 2026 defence budget would block F-35 deliveries unless Ankara cuts ties with Hamas and avoids threatening Israel, deepening tensions with Washington.
Changes to the 2026 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) have been proposed by US senators. These changes would stop arms deliveries to Türkiye, including the F-35 fighter plane, unless Ankara satisfies additional political criteria.
A bipartisan suggestion by Republican Gus Bilirakis and Democrat Brad Schneider would make it illegal to provide F-35s to Türkiye unless the White House can prove that Türkiye is not "materially supporting Hamas or any of its affiliates" and is not threatening Israel with military force.
Another amendment requires the State, Defence, and Treasury Departments to conduct detailed investigations into whether Türkiye is harbouring Hamas members or financial assets, or otherwise permitting the group’s officials to operate from its territory.
The push underscores longstanding concerns in Congress over Türkiye’s relationship with Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organisation in the US. Lawmakers also cite Ankara’s past acquisition of Russia’s S-400 air defence system and disputes with Greece and Greek Cyprus as grounds for restricting arms sales.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pressuring Washington to stop any transfer of F-35s to Ankara.
The Trump administration has taken a different view. US ambassador to Türkiye Thomas Barrack recently described Ankara as “amazingly cooperative,” noting that Washington has relied on Türkiye and Qatar as backchannels to Hamas in recent diplomatic efforts.
Türkiye was expelled from the F-35 programme in 2019 following its purchase of the S-400 system from Russia. While Ankara has continued to call for readmission, Congress has repeatedly sought to condition any return on strict political and security guarantees.
Author: Özgür Ekşi
