Türkiye wants to return S-400 air defense systems to Russia and get money back - Bloomberg
Illustrative photo: Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system (Russian media)
Türkiye plans to return the S-400 air defense systems to Russia, which it purchased about 10 years ago. Ankara also wants to get back the money it paid to the Russians for the systems, Bloomberg informs.
Türkiye wants to return the S-400 systems to Russia in order to put an end to a deal that prevents the country from purchasing US-made F-35 fighter jets. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan raised the issue during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan.
Sources cited by the outlet confirmed the conversation between Erdoğan and Putin. At the same time, officials declined to comment, while the Kremlin has strongly denied that such a request was made at all.
Washington has recently increased pressure on Türkiye, as it seeks to obtain US weapons and rejoin the F-35 program. Erdogan discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump in Washington.
"The US president’s close ally Tom Barrack, who’s ambassador to Türkiye, said earlier this month that Ankara was closer to giving up the S-400s, predicting the issue could be resolved in the next four to six months," the outlet writes.
Abandoning the S-400s, which the United States has long demanded, could significantly improve relations with Washington. Türkiye could get rid of sanctions against its defense industry and gain access to advanced US fighter jets. One of the publication’s sources in Ankara said he expects US sanctions to be lifted next year.
Not just the systems
At the same time, Ankara does not simply want to return the systems. It is demanding that Russia compensate the billions of dollars spent on acquiring the S-400s. One option could be a significant discount on imported oil and natural gas from Russia.
NATO believes that Russia could gain access to important intelligence if Türkiye were to operate the S-400s alongside the F-35. Giving up the Russian systems would provide Ankara with enormous "trust capital" among Alliance partners, as it is often accused of being too close to Russia.
"The US kicked Ankara out of the F-35 program in 2019 in response to the acquisition of the S-400s. Washington then invoked the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, known as CAATSA, in 2020 to stop Türkiye's defense industry getting access to sensitive technology," the outlet reminded.
On December 10, it became known that the US demands that Türkiye give up the Russian S-400 air defense systems if Ankara wants to return to the F-35 production and procurement program.
Washington insisted that the S-400s pose a threat to the F-35, while Türkiye claimed it could minimize the risks and would not integrate the Russian systems into NATO’s defense infrastructure.
In September, Trump said he could consider allowing Ankara to purchase the F-35, noting that Erdogan would "do something for us," although he did not provide further details.
