A new contact process has begun in the long-standing F-16 procurement and modernization negotiations between Türkiye and the USA. According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations who spoke to Al-Monitor, it was stated that while the talks between the two countries were restarted, the contacts gained momentum before the meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump, which is expected to take place within the scope of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The information that the talks have resumed has not yet been officially announced by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense or the US Department of Defense. For this reason, the current development is considered as a reactivated negotiation process between the two countries at the technical level.
One of the main topics in Turkey's current F-16 file is the procurement of 40 new F-16 Block 70 fighter jets.
Ankara's first request was for a broader package that included new aircraft as well as the modernization of the existing F-16 fleet. However, the scope of the package changed during the process and it was reported that Turkey gave up the supply of 79 modernization kits and the purchase of new aircraft continued.
According to the previous statements of the Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Türkiye made an advance payment of approximately 1.4 billion dollars for 40 new F-16s. It was stated that the total cost of the current package, including aircraft and related ammunition/equipment items, is approximately 6.5-7 billion dollars.
With the change in the scope of the modernization kits planned to be purchased from the USA, the importance of national solutions has increased in the modernization of the existing F-16s in the Turkish Air Force.
While it is aimed to increase the fuselage life of the aircraft within the scope of the structural studies carried out by TAI, the systems developed by ASELSAN and other Turkish defense industry companies are also included in the modernization process.
In particular, the ÖZGÜR project is one of the main programs in the modernization of the F-16 fleet with national avionics systems.
Within the scope of the program, it is planned to use systems such as MURAD AESA radar, national mission computer, national IFF and multi-function color indicators developed by ASELSAN. TAI's structural improvement efforts aim to increase the service life by renewing many structural parts per aircraft.
Details regarding the delivery schedule of the new F-16s ordered by Turkey are not yet clear.
Lockheed Martin did not share an exact schedule regarding the production slot and first delivery date of the F-16 Block 70 aircraft to be produced for Türkiye in September. The company stated that the F-16 Block 70 offers advanced air combat capabilities with affordable operating and life cycle costs for Türkiye.
Therefore, it is expected that one of the important topics of the renewed negotiations will be not only the price but also the delivery schedule and technical scope.
The new activity in the F-16 negotiations came to the agenda during President Erdoğan's contacts in New York within the scope of the United Nations General Assembly.
According to the information provided by Al-Monitor, technical contacts between the two countries have resumed before the expected meeting between Erdogan and Trump. While there were different statements regarding whether the meeting between the two leaders would take place, Turkish and US officials were expected to hold various contacts.
Therefore, the F-16 dossier stands out as part of broader diplomatic contacts in which defense relations between the two countries are being reconsidered.
The resumption of F-16 talks coincides with a period when other issues in Turkey's defense relations with the USA are on the agenda again.
Different statements continue to be made on the US side regarding Turkey's return to the F-35 program and CAATSA sanctions. While US House of Representatives member Darrell Issa stated in his statement in September that the modernization of Turkey's F-16 fleet should be prioritized, he also talked about contacts regarding the solution of the S-400-related sanctions issue.
However, these statements do not mean that Turkey has rejoined the F-35 program or that CAATSA sanctions have been lifted. There is no definitive agreement on these topics yet made public.
F-16 Block 70 procurement will be one of the important elements of the transition period in Turkey's warplane fleet in the coming years.
While the new F-16s are planned to support a certain part of the existing fleet, Türkiye continues the development and mass production process of KAAN in the same period. Thus, the modernization of the Turkish Air Force's existing F-16 fleet, the procurement of the new F-16 Block 70 and the entry into service of KAAN in the long term constitute different successive stages.
In this process, it is also important to modernize F-16s with national systems. Integrating the avionics and mission systems developed within the scope of ÖZGÜR into existing aircraft shows that efforts to improve the lifespan and capabilities of the aircraft in Turkey's fleet continue.
The resumption of F-16 talks between Türkiye and the USA indicates a new negotiation period in the procurement process of approximately 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft.
However, at this stage, there is no official statement that a new agreement has been signed, the price has been agreed upon, or the delivery schedule has been finalized.
In the coming period, it will be followed how the negotiations will be shaped, especially with the production and delivery schedule of the new F-16s, technical configuration, modernization of existing aircraft and other topics in Türkiye-US defense relations.
