The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, told CNN Türk that F-35 fighter jets are not the most important weapon Turke...

The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, told CNN Türk that F-35 fighter jets are not the most important weapon Turkey needs, pointing to the country's growing domestic defense industry as proof it can operate independently of American hardware. Barrack specifically cited Turkey's advances in drone technology and the KAAN jet engine program as evidence that Ankara has built a self-sufficient military industrial base. His comments came as Washington and Ankara continue to navigate their long-running disputes over the F-35 exclusion and Turkey's purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system. On the S-400 question, Barrack acknowledged that Russian systems are incompatible with American ones, but said Congress is actively examining ways to resolve the issue, either through a sale or transfer of the system. He said a solution would be found eventually, without offering a timeline. Barrack also made no mention of a possible meeting between Trump and Erdogan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, which is taking place this week in New York. That silence was notable given the number of unresolved issues between the two countries. Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after it accepted delivery of the S-400 from Russia, a decision that triggered U.S. sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The dispute has remained one of the sharpest friction points in the NATO alliance ever since. #Turkey #F35 #NATO