Turkey is looking for a way to get rid of the Russian S-400s
Turkey is looking for a way to get rid of its Russian S-400 air defense missile systems so it can resume purchasing American F-35 fighter jets. According to media reports, Ankara has already begun negotiations with Moscow regarding the transfer of these systems to a third country.
However, even this option does not yet guarantee success. The U.S. has already stated that simply transferring the S-400s to another country is unlikely to fully alleviate its security concerns.
Turkey is trying to find a compromise that would allow it to dispose of the Russian S-400 systems while simultaneously resuming military-technical cooperation with the United States. According to the agency, in recent weeks Ankara has approached Russia with a proposal to agree to the transfer of the purchased systems to a third country.
This idea emerged just a few months after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan proposed to Moscow that Turkey return the S-400s altogether. However, according to Turkish sources speaking to Bloomberg, this initiative did not receive widespread support.
The main goal is to return to the F-35 program
The reason for these steps is clear. Turkey wants to remove the main obstacle preventing it from purchasing American fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets again. Several years ago, the U.S. excluded Ankara from the F-35 program following its purchase of Russian S-400 systems. Washington believes that the simultaneous use of these systems could pose risks to the classified technologies of the American aircraft.
According to Bloomberg, negotiations regarding the S-400 intensified ahead of the NATO summit, which took place this week in Ankara. It was then that U.S. President Donald Trump signaled that he might reconsider the ban on selling F-35s to Turkey.
The U.S. did not agree to a compromise
Ankara had previously proposed another solution to the problem. The Turkish side stated that it was prepared to keep the S-400 systems but allow American specialists to oversee their operation. In this way, Turkey sought to convince the U.S. that the Russian systems would not collect information that could compromise the stealth technology of the F-35 fighter jets.
However, according to the agency’s sources, U.S. officials rejected this proposal. In addition, U.S. senators told reporters this week that even transferring the S-400s to another country would not necessarily eliminate all the risks that concern Washington.
The systems exist, but they are not being used
According to Turkish officials, Ankara is currently not using the S-400 systems, although they remain in the country’s arsenal. Bloomberg’s sources also reported that the issue of the Russian systems was discussed during Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s trip to Kazan, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It is not yet known whether Moscow is willing to agree to transfer the systems to another country. It is also unclear whether this would be enough for the U.S. to finally clear the way for Turkey to purchase F-35 fighter jets. Bloomberg reports this, citing its own sources.
Following the conclusion of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented ceremonial engraved pistols to high-ranking European Union officials — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he does not view the NATO summit in Turkey as the culmination of his political career. According to him, the Alliance has changed significantly, and the current meeting of allies has demonstrated positive results and the effectiveness of cooperation.
