Turkey will abandon the Russian S-400 to buy American F-35

Turkey wants to purchase new-generation F-35 fighters from the United States in order to gain superiority over Greek aviation, Cumhuriyet reports.

According to the newspaper, during the negotiations on the return to the F-35 supply program, Turkey offered the American side that it would not activate the previously acquired F-35 Russia's S-400 air defense system. "Let's put them in the boxes, and you check." The publication writes that the complexes purchased from Russia's $2.5 billion is still stored in warehouses in Turkey.

High-ranking representative of the US Embassy in Ankara did not refute these data.

"Now the ball is on Turkey's side, it is well aware of the requirements for the purchase of F-35," he said.

The contract for the purchase of S-400 Turkey and Russia concluded in 2017, deliveries began in 2019. Then the United States demanded that Ankara abandon the Russian systems in favor of Patriot, but Turkey refused. In response, Washington excluded the country from the F-35 supply program.

In March 2022, the Turkish authorities said they were not considering abandoning the S-400 due to US influence. At the same time, Ankara announced that it is open to acquiring missile defense systems from other countries that are alternatives to Russian air defense systems.

In early August, former Turkish State Minister Chavit Caglar said in the newspaper T24 that the S-400 should be sold. The American Forbes, referring to this interview, wrote that Turkey could do this "without setting Moscow against itself," by offering countries friendly to Russia — India and Pakistan. Defense Minister Yashar Guler ruled out the transfer of the S-400 to any country, RBC said.