Turkiye would get rid of its Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft systems to return to the U.S F-35 program

Defence affairs ~ Def-Geopolitics

In a conference held in Abu Dhabi, the U.S. ambassador to Turkiye, Tom Barrack, stated that Ankara is moving toward eliminating its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems. The official affirmed that Turkiye had resolved the system’s operational issues, although he emphasized that its mere possession continues to be a point of conflict for Washington.

“I believe these issues will be resolved in the next four to six months,” Barrack declared. When asked whether Turkiye is preparing to get rid of the system, he replied: “Yes.”

The acquisition of the S-400 nearly a decade ago led to Turkiye’s exclusion from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 2019. The U.S. also imposed sanctions on Turkish defense companies under the CAATSA law. Washington argued that the Russian system could compromise the F-35’s stealth capabilities, while Ankara maintained that the S-400s would not be integrated into NATO’s architecture.

Despite its removal from the program, Turkiye had paid approximately USD 1.4 billion for the purchase of 100 F-35 units, funds that were not reimbursed by the U.S.

In September of this year, U.S. President Donald Trump stated after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that Turkiye might be open to resuming the purchase of F-35s and said that Erdoğan “would do something for the United States,” without providing additional details.