Turkey is now weighing whether to scrap its Russian-made S-400 air-defense system entirely, after talks to transfer it to the United Arab Emirates in exchange for renewed access to U.S. F-35 fighter jets failed to advance, Semafor reported, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the talks. Disabling or destroying the system is one option under consideration, a U.S. official told Semafor, adding that “the Turks want to solve it.” Turkey has already paid for six F-35s that have sat in the United States since its expulsion from the program in 2019.
Section 1245 of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act bars F-35 transfers to Turkey unless Washington certifies it no longer possesses the S-400, a threshold some lawmakers read as requiring full divestment rather than mere deactivation. Washington also sanctioned Turkey’s defence procurement agency under Section 231 of CAATSA in 2020, and any sale to a third country would still require Russian approval, Semafor reported, giving Moscow leverage even if Ankara chooses destruction over resale. Trump said at the July NATO summit in Ankara that he was open to lifting sanctions and considering an F-35 sale, but lawmakers including Senator Chris Van Hollen remain skeptical, and restored Turkish access is already stirring concern in Israel over its regional military edge, Semafor reported.
