The Kremlin said Friday that it was discussing with Turkey the possible resale of Ankara’s Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, following reports that Turkey could dispose of them to help clear the way for a return to the US-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
Turkey has been excluded from the F-35 program since 2019, when it took delivery of the S-400s despite repeated US warnings that the Russian system could compromise the security of the advanced aircraft.
Abdulkadir Selvi, a columnist for Turkey’s pro-government Hürriyet newspaper, reported Friday, without citing a source, that Ankara had resold the systems to a Gulf country.
“We have had contacts with the Turkish side on this matter, and we will continue our contacts with the Turkish side on this issue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked by Agence France-Presse about the report.
Turkey agreed to buy the S-400s from Russia in 2017, at a time of strained relations with Washington over Syria and other disputes.
The purchase drew criticism from Turkey’s NATO allies and prompted the United States to impose sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Washington also removed Turkey from the F-35 program, although Ankara says it paid for aircraft that were never delivered.
During talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he would consider allowing Turkey to rejoin the program.
“We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey’s been — in many ways — much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal,” Trump said, later adding: “We’re gonna be taking the sanctions off.”
Any resale of the S-400s would likely require Moscow’s approval because Turkey does not have unrestricted re-export rights under the original purchase agreement.
© Agence France-Presse