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Türkiye and the United States have resumed F-16 talks, a person familiar with the discussions told Al-Monitor on Sept. 21, as Ankara races to renew its air fleet amid a lack of progress on F-35s.
The modernization of Türkiye's F-16 fleet is back on the agenda alongside U.S. sanctions and Ankara's potential F-35 acquisition, the person said. It remains unclear whether the talks focus on 40 new F-16 Block 70 jets, U.S. approvals for upgrading the existing fleet, or both.
F-16s remain the backbone of Türkiye's combat fleet, with over 230 in service.
Regional rivals, including Greece and Israel, are expanding their fifth-generation F-35 fleets.
After its removal from the F-35 program, Ankara requested 40 new F-16 Block 70 jets and modernization kits for 79 existing aircraft in October 2021. Washington endorsed the package, initially valued at about $23 billion, in 2024.
Later that year, Türkiye dropped the 79 modernization kits and decided to upgrade part of its fleet domestically. Talks on the 40 new jets have since stalled.
Upgrades to Türkiye's F-16 Block 30 aircraft are reportedly expected to be completed by 2027, with Block 40 and 50 upgrades scheduled for 2028-2030, according to the Presidency of Defense Industries.
The domestic program, known as Ozgur-2, is led by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
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Turkish defense analyst Arda Mevlutoglu said the 40-jet order remains stuck despite an advance payment.
"Even though 5 years have passed since the LoR (Letter of Request) was signed and 2 years since the LOA (Letter of Offer and Acceptance) was signed, and even though an advance payment of ~$1.5 billion has been made, the production contract between the U.S. Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin for the 40 F-16Vs has still not been signed," he wrote on X.
"I think and hope that what is meant is 'strengthening the F-16 fleet/force structure,' not avionics modernization," Mevlutoglu said, adding, "If the latter is true, it would also be questioned why it is needed when Ozgur 2 exists."
He noted that production and pilot training for Türkiye's newly ordered squadron of 20 Eurofighter Typhoons have begun, but that there has been no concrete progress on acquiring Typhoons from Qatar and Oman a year after the plan became public.
In 2020, Türkiye became the first NATO member sanctioned under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) over its purchase of Russia's S-400 system.
It was also blocked from receiving six F-35s it had paid about $1.4 billion for.
Under U.S. law, Ankara "must cease possession" of the S-400 before sanctions can be lifted. Ankara explores reselling the systems to a third country; both Ankara and Moscow have confirmed the issue is under discussion.
It hasn't been announced whether President Erdogan and Trump met one-on-one during the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA).
The Turkish president attended a Sept. 22 meeting Trump held with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders on Iran, where Trump called him a friend, "a tough cookie" and "a great guy."
Greece, a fellow NATO member, signed a deal in 2024 to acquire 20 F-35s, with an option for 20 more and first deliveries expected in 2028. Israel operates 48 F-35s, according to its Defense Ministry.
The resumed F-16 talks come as Türkiye seeks to maintain its air deterrence while the F-35 issue remains unresolved.
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