Erdogan Wants to Return Russian S-400 Systems to Putin to get US F-35 Fighter Jets

Turkey has renewed discussions over the future of its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, raising the issue during a recent meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. The Kremlin has publicly denied that any formal request regarding the return of the systems was made during the talks.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Vitaly V. Kuzmin, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

S-400 launcher

According to the report, similar conversations have previously taken place between Russian and Turkish officials. The issue has resurfaced as Ankara seeks to normalize defense relations with Washington after years of strain triggered by the S-400 purchase.

Why Turkey Is Revisiting the S-400 Question

Turkish officials believe that distancing the country from the S-400 program could unlock a path toward lifting US sanctions on Turkey's defense industry and restoring access to advanced American combat aircraft. One senior Turkish diplomat recently indicated that Ankara expects sanctions relief as early as next year.

Sources told Bloomberg that Turkey hopes its role as a diplomatic intermediary between Russia and Ukraine may encourage Moscow to adopt a more flexible position toward Erdogan's request.

"Turkey expects its mediation efforts to weigh positively on Russia's stance regarding the S-400 issue,” a source familiar with the talks said.

Turkey's Longstanding Pursuit of US Fighter Jets

Turkey has been seeking to modernize its air force for more than a decade. Prior to the S-400 dispute, Ankara was a key participant in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, contributing to production and planning to acquire over 100 aircraft.

That ambition collapsed after Turkey signed a $2.5 billion deal with Russia in 2017 for four divisions of the S-400 system. Washington argued that deploying Russian radar systems alongside NATO aircraft posed unacceptable intelligence and security risks.

As a result, the United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program and imposed sanctions under the CAATSA framework. Since then, Ankara has pursued alternative options, including upgrades to its existing F-16 fleet and the development of its indigenous KAAN fifth-generation fighter, though officials acknowledge that near-term capability gaps remain.

Turkish media previously reported that Ankara offered assurances it would not activate the S-400 systems in exchange for renewed access to US fighter jets. Despite these pledges, the aircraft never entered service and have remained in storage.

The S-400 Deal and Its Strategic Impact

Turkey's S-400 purchase marked one of the most significant defense agreements between a NATO member and Russia in recent decades. At the time, the United States urged Ankara to abandon the deal and instead acquire the American-made Patriot system, an offer Turkey declined.

President Erdogan later stated that Turkey would independently decide whether to acquire additional S-400 regiments, while Defense Minister Yasar Guler suggested in subsequent remarks that US objections had softened.

However, Washington has consistently maintained that Turkey must fully relinquish the S-400 systems to reenter Western fighter programs.

Technical Overview of S-400 Air Defense System

The S-400 Triumf is one of Russia's most advanced long-range air defense platforms, designed to counter aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic threats.

Key technical specifications include:

• Engagement range: up to 400 kilometers depending on missile type
• Target altitude: from low-flying cruise missiles to high-altitude ballistic threats
• Radar coverage: multi-band radar capable of tracking up to 300 targets simultaneously
• Missile types: 40N6, 48N6, 9M96 series
• Engagement capacity: up to 36 targets simultaneously
• Reaction time: approximately 10 seconds

The system employs a layered interception approach and relies heavily on powerful radar arrays, which US officials argue could collect sensitive data on NATO aircraft.

Strategic Balancing Between Washington and Moscow

In recent months, Turkey has signaled to Washington that it is prepared to compromise on the S-400 issue without fully abandoning the system. President Erdogan has stated that discussions with US President Donald Trump focused primarily on fighter jets rather than air defense systems.

"We discussed the F-35. We paid $1.3 billion for the F-35 program. We saw that President Trump had good intentions regarding our purchase,” Erdogan said.

According to Bloomberg, Ankara's current strategy is to preserve diplomatic leverage with both Moscow and Washington while reopening channels that could allow Turkey to rejoin Western defense supply chains.

Whether the S-400 systems are returned, mothballed, or transferred to a third location remains unclear. What is evident is that Turkey's aspirations for advanced US fighter jets continue to shape its strategic calculations at a critical moment for regional security.