Turkey may sell its S-400s to rejoin the F-35 program
Turkey is considering selling Russian S-400 air defense systems to a third country in order to regain access to the purchase of American F-35 fighter jets, according to media reports.
According to Euractiv, citing a regional intelligence official familiar with the situation, South Korea could be a potential buyer of the S-400. This move is seen as a condition for softening the U.S. stance following Turkey’s exclusion from the F-35 program in 2019 due to its purchase of Russian air defense systems.
Washington stated at the time that the S-400 could pose a risk of data leaks regarding the vulnerabilities of American aircraft. According to the source, Turkey’s return to the F-35 program is possible only if it disposes of the Russian systems without returning them to Moscow.
At the same time, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has already notified Congress of its intention to approve the supply of aircraft engines for the Turkish KAAN fighter jet worth approximately 613 million euros, and this deal is likely to go through, Euractiv reports.
The Turkish military has officially adopted the new TAYFUN Block-2 ballistic missiles. They can strike targets at a range of over 500 kilometers and are designed to strike key military targets deep behind enemy lines.
Millions of foreigners continue to reside in Turkey, with Syrians holding temporary protection status constituting the largest group. At the same time, the country reports that some refugees have been gradually returning to Syria in recent years.
