Turkey Seeks Russia's Approval to Resell S-400 Systems

Turkey has reportedly asked Russia to approve the resale of its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to a third country, a move that could help Ankara restore defense ties with the United States and regain access to the F-35 fighter jet program.

Turkey Seeks Moscow's Approval Over S-400 Transfer

According to Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, Turkish officials approached Moscow before the NATO summit held on July 7-8 in Ankara to seek permission to transfer the S-400 missile systems purchased from Russia in 2019.

The reported request follows Turkey's unsuccessful effort to keep the S-400 systems while persuading Washington to allow its return to the F-35 program. Turkish officials reportedly proposed allowing the United States to monitor the operation of the missile systems to ensure they would not collect sensitive data on the stealth aircraft. US officials rejected the proposal, according to the report.

Sources also said that the Turkish military is not currently operating the S-400 systems.

Conflicting Reports Over the Future of the S-400 Systems

The report differs from an earlier article published by Hürriyet, which claimed Turkey had already sold the S-400 systems to a Gulf country. According to the newspaper's sources, the buyer was either the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, both of which reportedly seek stronger air defense capabilities amid heightened regional tensions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the issue of Russia's S-400 systems as "highly sensitive." He confirmed that Moscow and Ankara had discussed the matter and said the two sides would continue consultations.

S-400 Purchase Triggered US Sanctions

Turkey signed a $2.5 billion contract with Russia to purchase the S-400 air defense system in 2017, and the first deliveries arrived in 2019. The acquisition prompted the United States to remove Turkey from the multinational F-35 fighter jet program and impose sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in December 2020.

During this week's NATO summit, US President Donald Trump said Washington intends to lift the sanctions imposed over Turkey's purchase of the S-400 systems.

Previously, Dmitry Peskov stated that any future decision by Turkey to part with the S-400 systems would not affect relations between Moscow and Ankara. Bloomberg also reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the possibility with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in December 2025, although the Kremlin denied that such a formal request had been made during the talks.