The United States and Turkey are moving closer to a possible roadmap that could pave the way for Ankara’s return to the F-35 fighter jet program, but a major obstacle remains: Turkey must resolve the issue of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, which led to its removal from the US-led initiative.
Following US President Donald Trump’s visit to Ankara and talks with Turkish officials, the two sides have reportedly abandoned earlier options involving the dismantling or storage of the S-400s and are now considering their transfer to a third country, possibly in the Gulf region.
The matter has been discussed in talks between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, as well as during meetings between government delegations, according to Turkish media reports.
Under the emerging proposal, Turkey would sell the Russian systems to another country, but such a move would require approval from Moscow under the original S-400 agreement’s end-user restrictions.
Reports indicate that Ankara, Washington and Moscow have recently maintained contacts on both the Russia-Ukraine war and the S-400 issue. Turkish officials have been seeking Moscow’s approval for a possible transfer, with Russia reportedly not objecting in principle. Before Trump’s visit to Ankara, Fidan traveled to Moscow, where he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin.
