Turkish defense authorities said on July 16 that work on the future status of the country’s Russian S-400 air defense systems is continuing, as reports said Ankara could transfer the missile systems to a third country as part of efforts to resolve a long-running dispute with the United States.
“When concrete developments occur, they will be shared with the public,” Defense Ministry officials said at a weekly press briefing in Ankara.
The remarks came after the Kremlin confirmed on July 10 that Moscow and Ankara are holding talks following media reports that Türkiye could transfer its S-400 systems to an unnamed Gulf country.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the issue as “extremely sensitive,” according to Russian state news agencies.
Asked whether Türkiye had sought Russia’s approval for such a move, Peskov said the two countries were discussing the matter.
The S-400 issue has remained the main obstacle to restoring full defense cooperation between Washington and Ankara.
The United States removed Türkiye from the multinational F-35 fighter jet program and imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in 2020 after Ankara received the Russian-made air defense systems in 2019.
Washington has argued that operating the S-400 alongside NATO platforms, particularly the F-35 stealth fighter, would pose unacceptable security risks.
A potential breakthrough emerged on July 7 when U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Washington would lift CAATSA sanctions on Türkiye following a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.
Meanwhile, Defense Ministry officials criticized a recent European Parliament decision concerning Cyprus, rejecting its characterization of Türkiye’s 1974 military intervention on the island.
“We vehemently reject the baseless, irrational and despicable allegations and the decision taken regarding the 1974 Peace Operation,” the officials said.
They also accused the European Parliament of ignoring what it described as massacres and other attacks against Turkish Cypriots and said the decision reflected “a one-sided approach based on Greek propaganda.”
