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Turkey Says No Country Can Expel It From F-35 Program

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov (L) meets Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) in Moscow, Russia on December 29, 2018. [Sefa Karacan - Anadolu Agency]
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov (L) meets Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) in Moscow, Russia on December 29, 2018. [Sefa Karacan - Anadolu Agency]
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Turkey Says No Country Can Expel It From F-35 Program

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov (L) meets Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) in Moscow, Russia on December 29, 2018. [Sefa Karacan - Anadolu Agency]
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov (L) meets Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) in Moscow, Russia on December 29, 2018. [Sefa Karacan - Anadolu Agency]

Turkey has affirmed that no country from the F-34 program can exclude it from the multinational program.

“This one-sided step neither complies with the spirit of alliance nor is it based on legitimate reasons,” Defense Industry President İsmail Demir said in a statement.

“We said that no country can be excluded from the F-35 program unilaterally. The last letter from the US justified us,” he emphasized.

An official from the Pentagon said in April that the US notified Turkey that it was officially expelled from the program.

He added that according to the statement sent to Ankara, the Joint Memorandum of Understanding opened to participant countries' signature in 2006 and signed by Turkey on January 26, 2007, has been canceled and Turkey was not included in the new agreement.

Other participants of the program were the US, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, Canada, and Norway.

Turkey has ordered more than 100 of the F-35 fighter jets, spending $1.4 billion while its defense industry has invested significant sums into the warplanes’ production.

It threatened to resort to legal means after Washington halted delivery to Tukey in July 2019.

Turkey signed a deal with Russia to purchase a new batch of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.

A defense company owned by Turkey’s main defense industrial agency signed a contract with the Arnold & Porter law firm to provide “strategic advice and outreach” in a bid to persuade US policymakers to readmit Turkey to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

In December, US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Turkey by virtue of Katsa. The sanctions included four officials from the Defense Industry Ministry in addition to depriving Turkey of defense loans that exceed $10 million.

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World

UN Security Council to Vote on Iran Nuclear Sanctions Friday

Iranians drive past next to a pro-Palestine billboard carrying Palestine flags and a sentence reading in Persian, 'Little angel will guard the hope ships', at the Valiasr square in Tehran, Iran, 18 September 2025. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
Iranians drive past next to a pro-Palestine billboard carrying Palestine flags and a sentence reading in Persian, 'Little angel will guard the hope ships', at the Valiasr square in Tehran, Iran, 18 September 2025. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
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UN Security Council to Vote on Iran Nuclear Sanctions Friday

Iranians drive past next to a pro-Palestine billboard carrying Palestine flags and a sentence reading in Persian, 'Little angel will guard the hope ships', at the Valiasr square in Tehran, Iran, 18 September 2025. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
Iranians drive past next to a pro-Palestine billboard carrying Palestine flags and a sentence reading in Persian, 'Little angel will guard the hope ships', at the Valiasr square in Tehran, Iran, 18 September 2025. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

The UN Security Council will vote Friday on whether to reimpose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, the Council's rotating presidency said, after Britain, France and Germany triggered the vote.

The three European countries, signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action intended to stop Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons, allege that Iran has broken its promises under that 2015 treaty.

Diplomatic sources expect that the resolution will not have the nine positive votes needed to uphold the status quo -- in which sanctions remain lifted -- and as such the punishment will be reimposed.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he expected international sanctions against Iran to be reinstated by the end of the month, in an excerpt from an Israeli television interview broadcast Thursday.

In a letter to the UN in mid-August, the "European Three" slammed Iran as having breached several JCPOA commitments, including building up a uranium stock to more than 40 times the level permitted under the deal.

The hard-won 2015 deal has been left in tatters ever since the United States, during Donald Trump's first presidency, walked away from it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Western powers and Israel have long accused Tehran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a claim Iran denies.

Following the US withdrawal, Tehran gradually broke away from its commitments under the agreement and began stepping up its nuclear activities, with tensions high since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.

The war also derailed Tehran's nuclear negotiations with the United States and prompted Iran to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, with inspectors of the Vienna-based UN body leaving the country shortly afterwards.

During his previous term, Trump attempted to trigger the so-called "snapback clause" to reimpose sanctions in 2020, but failed due to his country's unilateral withdrawal two years earlier.

While European powers have for years launched repeated efforts to revive the 2015 deal through negotiations and said they "have unambiguous legal grounds" to trigger the clause, Iran does not share their view.

Iran has threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if the snapback is triggered.

World

Trump Says He Disagrees with UK Recognizing Palestine

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on February 27, 2025 in Washington, D.C., US Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on February 27, 2025 in Washington, D.C., US Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Trump Says He Disagrees with UK Recognizing Palestine

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on February 27, 2025 in Washington, D.C., US Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on February 27, 2025 in Washington, D.C., US Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he and Donald Trump "absolutely agree" on the need for an Israeli-Palestine peace roadmap, but the US president said he disagreed with countries recognizing Palestine as a state.

"We absolutely agree on the need for peace and a road map, because the situation in Gaza is intolerable," Reuters quoted Starmer telling reporters after the two men held a bilateral meeting.

Asked about countries recognizing a Palestinian state, Trump said: "I have a disagreement with the Prime Minister on that score, one of our few disagreements, actually."

Trump and Starmer held a roundtable with business leaders and also had private meetings where the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and tariff rates the US may set on steel imported from Britain were expected to be discussed.

World

Türkiye Monitoring Reports Cyprus Getting Israeli Defense System, Official Says

A Turkish flag flutters atop the Turkish embassy as an Israeli flag is seen nearby, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 26, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File Photo
A Turkish flag flutters atop the Turkish embassy as an Israeli flag is seen nearby, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 26, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File Photo
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Türkiye Monitoring Reports Cyprus Getting Israeli Defense System, Official Says

A Turkish flag flutters atop the Turkish embassy as an Israeli flag is seen nearby, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 26, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File Photo
A Turkish flag flutters atop the Turkish embassy as an Israeli flag is seen nearby, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 26, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File Photo

Türkiye is monitoring "attempts to disrupt the balance in Cyprus" and will act to safeguard security in the north of the island, a Turkish official said on Thursday after Cypriot reports that the government there had procured an air defense system from Israel.

Cyprus was split by a Turkish invasion after a brief Greek-inspired coup in 1974, with the internationally-recognized government controlling the south, and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north that is only recognized by Ankara.

Cypriot media reported last December that Cyprus had taken delivery of an Israeli air defense system. The Barak MX anti-aircraft system will complement and eventually replace the older Russian-made Tor M1, the reports said.

Cypriot media have since reported two more deliveries, most recently last week. Cypriot officials never openly disclose procurement programs because of the ongoing tensions with Türkiye, according to Reuters.

A Turkish defense ministry official, speaking to reporters on Thursday on condition of anonymity, said ongoing armament efforts by Cyprus and "activities that undermine peace and stability on the island could have dangerous consequences".

"Any attempt to disrupt the balance on the island is being closely monitored and all necessary measures are being taken for the security and peace of the TRNC," he added, using the acronym for the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Earlier this week, Cypriot Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas was quoted by state media as saying with regard to any procurement of Israeli air defense systems: "Cyprus is a peaceful, democratic country which has been under occupation for 51 years."

"As long as there is an occupation and no political solution (of the island's division), we have the self-evident duty and obligation to ensure the defenses of the Republic of Cyprus."