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Türkiye expects the United States to lift Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions and all restrictions on its defense industry as talks continue on the delivery of six F-35 fighter jets, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Thursday.
It added that the first two of 12 C-130J transport aircraft bought from Britain are due in December.
"As we have stated before, our expectation is the lifting of CAATSA sanctions, which are incompatible with the spirit of alliance, and all direct or indirect restrictions on our defense industry,” the ministry said after its weekly news briefing.
"We expect the process to conclude positively in line with our alliance relations and mutual interests," the ministry noted.
The six F-35As built for Türkiye have been held in the United States since Ankara was removed from the program in 2019 over its purchase of Russia's S-400 system, while the ex-Royal Air Force C-130Js will modernize an aging Turkish airlift fleet.
The ministry said contacts with U.S. authorities on the delivery of the six F-35s continue.
Deputy Defense Minister Alpaslan Kavaklioglu told CNN Turk this week that Ankara had "intensive contacts, especially regarding the first six aircraft."
Washington imposed CAATSA sanctions on Türkiye’s defense procurement agency in December 2020. The jets remain sealed at a U.S. facility under anti-corrosion maintenance, with the S-400 issue the main hurdle.
Türkiye joined the program in 2002 and paid $1.4 billion.
The ministry said the 12 C-130J aircraft procured from Britain will significantly boost the Turkish Armed Forces’ airlift capability with increased carrying capacity. Maintenance, modification and upgrades are being carried out in Britain by the manufacturer.
"These activities are monitored and controlled by our authorized Air Force Command personnel. After the aircraft are taken into inventory, flight, maintenance and repair activities will be carried out with our own means and capabilities," the ministry said.
"In this context, training of our pilots, flight crews, maintenance personnel and engineers is planned to be completed by the end of 2026, and the first two aircraft are planned to be received in December 2026," the ministry noted.
The first two aircraft are the C-130J-30s formerly flown by the Royal Air Force as ZH875 and ZH877, according to footage published by CBGSpotter.
Britain retired its C-130J fleet in 2023, and the U.K. government has said the deal, including work by Cambridge-based Marshall Aerospace such as center wing box replacements, is worth more than £550 million ($729.42 million) to the British defense sector and Marshall.
Defense analyst Arda Mevlutoglu wrote on X that the base of a Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-24(V) Nemesis directional infrared countermeasure system is visible on ZH875’s rear fuselage.
"It had been removed along with the aerial refueling probe before delivery. Some RAF C-130Js had been modified this way to support special forces operations," he wrote, noting that "They will probably be fitted with Aselsan's Yildirim DIRCM after entering Air Force service."
On possible Turkish military support to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, the ministry said, "It will be carried out in line with our Constitution and relevant legislation. In this context, the agreement must be approved by the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the necessary authorization processes for sending the Turkish Armed Forces abroad must be completed."
The scope of any contribution will be set based on Saudi Arabia’s needs and requests, developments on the ground, operational requirements and agreement between the parties, it said.
"The number of Palestinians killed and forced from their homes and lands is increasing every day with Israel’s inhumane attacks," ministry spokesperson Rear Adm. Zeki Akturk said, urging the international community to take "a more determined stance against Israel."
He also offered condolences for those killed in Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.
"These attacks, which target civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians and clearly violate international and humanitarian law, are causing tensions in the region to escalate further and must end as soon as possible," Akturk stated, as Ankara presses Washington on CAATSA.
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