U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said he believes a deal to return Turkiye to the F-35 fighter jet program is achievable.

Axar.az reports, citing Turkish media, that he told CNN that the Trump administration is negotiating the terms with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adding that Turkiye would need to dispose of its Russian-made S-400 missile defense system.

"I think it's very clear what American law requires," Whitaker said, adding that he believed "that's a deal that can happen" and "will happen."

Whitaker described the S-400 as a "condition precedent" under U.S. law, framing the legal constraint not as an obstacle but as a negotiating parameter. He said President Trump is working directly with Erdogan to achieve what the law demands, rather than simply enforcing it by fiat.

Whitaker acknowledged that even if Turkiye were cleared for re-entry into the program, no jets would be delivered in the near term, citing long production lines and prior commitments to other countries. "These planes would not be delivered tomorrow," he said.