Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed the resumption of discussions between Turkey and the United States over Ankara’s potential reentry into the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The talks, which resumed at the technical level following Erdogan’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague, mark Ankara’s latest bid to reverse its exclusion from the program in 2019.
Speaking to reporters aboard his return flight, Erdogan stated that Turkey continues to pursue reentry into the U.S.-led fifth-generation fighter jet program. “We have not given up on the F-35s,” he said. “We discussed the issue in our meeting with Mr. Trump, talks at a technical level have started.”
Turkey was removed from the F-35 program after its acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, which prompted the imposition of U.S. sanctions in 2020. Prior to its removal, Turkey was a key partner in the program, contributing to component manufacturing and scheduled to be a significant buyer of the aircraft.
The renewed talks come at a time when Turkey is facing increasing strategic challenges in its neighbourhood, particularly from India’s expanding defence partnerships with Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia. India’s growing presence in these regions, each of which has strained relations with Ankara, has shifted the regional military balance and raised concerns within the Turkish security establishment.
India-Greece Defence Ties Grow with Akash, T-4, BrahMos Against Turkish Threats
In Greece, Indian defence companies have stepped up cooperation with local firms such as Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB) and Hellenic Defence Systems (EAS). Indian-origin systems like the Akash air defence system and the T-4 platform have demonstrated effectiveness against Turkish-origin drones during Operation Sindoor, strengthening India’s reputation as a reliable partner in air defence solutions. Turkey, which has viewed Greek military advancements with suspicion, now finds itself facing a rapidly modernizing Hellenic military with increasing Indian support.
India is also promoting its BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to Greece. The BrahMos missile is seen as a game-changer in regional maritime security. The anti-ship variant, capable of travelling at Mach 2.8 with a 300-kilometre range, has gained interest in Athens for deployment across strategic locations such as the Eastern Aegean islands, Crete, and the mainland.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Greece in August 2023 laid the groundwork for strengthening bilateral defence ties. Subsequent visits by top military officials have further accelerated collaboration. Indian systems are increasingly being viewed as integral to Greece’s efforts to bolster its deterrence capabilities in contested waters, especially against Turkey’s assertive maritime claims.
Cyprus Seeks Indian Defence Support to Counter Turkish Threat in Eastern Mediterranean
In Cyprus, India has deepened defence engagement following Prime Minister Modi’s recent official visit in June 2025, the first by an Indian premier in over two decades. With Cyprus still facing unresolved territorial occupation by Turkey since 1974, Nicosia has shown strong interest in acquiring Indian defence technology. Discussions have included potential cooperation on air defence, surveillance systems, and precision-guided munitions. The island nation has welcomed India’s role in balancing Ankara’s increasing militarisation in the eastern Mediterranean.
Cyprus, situated at a vital geopolitical crossroads, is emerging as a key node in India’s strategic defence outreach in the region. With ports and airfields of significance, it offers New Delhi a reliable partner close to Turkey’s southern flank.
Armenia Turns to India for Defence Ties After Karabakh Conflict & Turkish-Azeri Military Pressure
India’s defence engagement with Armenia has progressed rapidly since the 2023 military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which resulted in the displacement of over 150,000 ethnic Armenian Christians. Turkey’s overt military support for Islamic Azerbaijan during the conflict further cemented Armenia’s strategic alignment with India.
Armenia has procured a wide array of Indian-made defence systems. These include the Swathi weapon-locating radar, the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system (MLRS), Akash surface-to-air missile systems, anti-drone and anti-tank systems, and the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS). These acquisitions have strengthened Yerevan’s defensive posture and provided India with a credible foothold in the Caucasus, an area traditionally dominated by Russian and Turkish influence.
Indian arms deliveries to Armenia have shifted regional equations, with New Delhi now playing a direct role in enhancing the capabilities of a country that shares a hostile border with Turkey’s closest ally in the region.
As Ankara seeks to mend its ties with Washington and regain access to the F-35 program, it is confronted with the reality of India’s expanding defence influence in multiple theatres of strategic concern. Turkey’s pursuit of advanced Western technology now runs parallel to India’s consolidation of defence partnerships in territories that have longstanding frictions with Ankara.
