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U.S. lawmakers have introduced amendments to the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would block F-35 fighter jet deliveries and other arms sales to Türkiye unless Ankara meets specific political and security conditions, including certifications regarding Hamas, Israel, and defense cooperation with U.S. adversaries.
A bipartisan amendment introduced by Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis and Democrat Rep. Brad Schneider would prohibit F-35 sales to Türkiye unless the White House certifies that Ankara is not "materially supporting Hamas or any of its affiliates."
The proposed legislation would also require certification that Türkiye is not "engaging in military threats to Israel" and is not conducting military cooperation, including drone sales, with Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
Another amendment calls for the State, Defense, and Treasury departments to conduct detailed investigations and submit a joint report to Congress examining whether Türkiye is harboring Hamas members or financial assets, or otherwise permitting the group's officials to operate from its territory.
The report, requested within 180 days, would assess security risks to the U.S. and allies, activities of groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards, terrorism history, threats to U.S. personnel and bases, and Türkiye's responses to these threats.
Additional amendments submitted to the House Armed Services Committee by Representatives Dan Goldman of New York and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey target Türkiye's military presence in Turkish Cyprus and its regional activities, according to Greek Reporter.
These proposals would require Türkiye to stop alleged violations of Greece and Greek Cyprus, avoid defense cooperation with U.S. rivals like Russia, and ensure U.S.-made weapons are not used in Turkish Cyprus. The restrictions would remain in effect for five years unless these conditions are met.
The amendments also require Türkiye to disclose to the U.S. all American-origin systems used in Turkish Cyprus.
Türkiye was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019 following its purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system. While Ankara has continued to call for readmission, Congress has repeatedly sought to condition any return on strict political and security guarantees.
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. U.S. 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.
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