Türkiye and U.S. Working on “Creative Ideas” to Resolve S-400 Dispute
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that Ankara and Washington are working on “creative ideas” aimed at resolving the dispute over Türkiye’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air-defense systems and paving the way for the lifting of U.S. sanctions.
Speaking to Turkish broadcaster NTV, Fidan did not disclose details of the proposals but said he hoped positive steps would be taken to resolve the issue.
The United States imposed CAATSA sanctions on Türkiye in 2020 following Ankara’s acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 systems. The dispute also led to Türkiye being removed from the F-35 fighter jet program.
In July, Turkish media reported that Ankara could potentially transfer or sell its S-400 systems to a Gulf country as part of efforts to persuade Washington to approve Türkiye’s return to the F-35 program. Russia said at the time that it was in contact with Ankara regarding the issue.
Fidan has now confirmed that Türkiye and the United States are exploring new solutions to resolve the long-running S-400 dispute.
The issue remains one of the major obstacles in the defense relationship between Ankara and Washington.