Turkey, US seek ‘creative’ ways to resolve S-400 sanctions

Turkey and the United States are working on “creative ideas” to lift sanctions imposed on Ankara over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a televised interview that officials from both countries are seeking a way to remove restrictions imposed by Washington in 2020. He did not provide details of the talks but said he hoped “positive steps” would be taken on the issue.

How did the S-400 dispute emerge?

Turkey received the first components of Russia’s S-400 system in 2019 despite warnings from the United States. Washington said the system was incompatible with NATO’s defense architecture and could expose sensitive information about Western aircraft.

The United States subsequently removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program and canceled its planned purchase of the aircraft. The decision was based on concerns that Russia’s S-400 system could be used to collect information about the stealth technology of US-made fighter jets. Turkish defense companies had been involved in manufacturing some components for the aircraft.

In 2020, Washington imposed sanctions on Turkey’s defense industry under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The restrictions included bans on US export licenses and access to financing.

Ankara’s position

Ankara says it turned to Russia because it was unable to obtain a comparable air defense system from Western suppliers on acceptable terms. Turkish officials have also stressed that the S-400 batteries can operate without harming NATO networks.

Turkish media reported in July that the S-400 batteries could be resold to an unnamed Gulf Arab country in hopes of resolving the dispute between Ankara and Washington. Neither Turkey nor the United States has confirmed the proposal.

Issue could be discussed during New York meetings

The S-400 issue is expected to be raised during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to New York this week. Erdogan will meet with several foreign leaders ahead of his address to the UN General Assembly.

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said over the weekend that Erdogan could meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Ankara has not yet confirmed such a meeting.

If the meeting takes place, the parties could discuss not only the sanctions but also Turkey’s possible return to the F-35 program and broader defense ties between the two countries.