ANKARA (Realist English). Turkey has asked Russia to take back the S-400 air defence system, marking a significant shift in Ankara’s long-standing position as it seeks to rejoin the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet programme, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The request was made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan last week, following earlier discussions between Russian and Turkish officials, the report said.
The development comes as U.S.-Turkish defence ties show signs of thawing. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said this week that Ankara and Washington are in active talks over Turkey’s desire to re-enter the F-35 programme and resolve the dispute over the Russian-made S-400 system. “The United States is in ongoing discussions with Türkiye regarding their desire to rejoin the F-35 program and their possession of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system,” Barrack wrote on X.
Turkey was expelled from the F-35 co-production programme in 2019 after purchasing the S-400, a move that angered the U.S. Congress amid broader concerns over Ankara’s military operations in Syria and violations of Greek airspace. Washington later imposed sanctions on Turkey’s Defence Procurement Agency and amended defence legislation in 2020 to bar delivery of F-35s unless the president certifies that Turkey no longer possesses the S-400.
Erdogan’s reported request represents a reversal of Turkey’s earlier stance, which sought to retain the S-400 — potentially placing it in storage — while still acquiring the F-35. One compromise previously discussed by analysts involved Turkey keeping the system mothballed under continuous NATO verification, an option Ankara had resisted, including proposals to transfer the system to a third country.
Relations between Ankara and Washington have improved under U.S. President Donald Trump, who has relied on Turkey’s influence in Syria and its role in encouraging Hamas to accept a ceasefire in Gaza. Analysts say Trump is keen to revive defence cooperation, including arms sales.
Aaron Stein, president of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, has said Turkey remains one of the largest potential buyers of the F-35, alongside the UAE and Saudi Arabia. “Trump wants nothing more than to sell F-35s to Turkey,” Stein said, adding that Ankara has discussed purchasing around 40 aircraft — a deal that would represent a major boost for the programme.
