Turkey is close to reaching an agreement with the United States under which the Russian S-400 air defense system will be sold to a Gulf state, paving the way for Ankara’s return to the American F-35 fighter jet program.
According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, Ankara could announce the decision as early as today. The move would be part of efforts to convince the United States to lift sanctions imposed on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 system in 2019.
The purchase of the S-400 led to Turkey’s exclusion from the F-35 program and the imposition of US sanctions in 2020, after Washington assessed that the Russian system posed a risk to the safety of the F-35 aircraft technology.
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US President Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to lift sanctions and consider Turkey’s return to the F-35 program after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but US law still prohibits the sale of these aircraft as long as Ankara possesses the S-400 system.
Therefore, transferring the system to a third country is seen as the most likely solution, writes Reuters .
On the other hand, the Kremlin confirmed that it is in contact with Turkish authorities on the S-400 issue. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described this as an “extremely sensitive” issue, stressing that dialogue between Moscow and Ankara will continue. /Telegraph/