Turkey sells Russia-made S400 air defence systems to Gulf nation after US signals sale of F35s Rapport

Ankara has sold the Russian-made S-400 surface to air missile defence system to a Gulf nation days after the United States (US) signalled the selling of the fifth generation F-35 aircraft to Türkiye; although an official confirmation is awaited in this regard.

According to a report by the pro-government newspaper in Turkey

Ankara has struck a deal with a third party, probably the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Qatar. It said Türkiye has also resolved “certain issues”.

I understand the S-400s have been sold to a third party. The deal will be announced on Friday (TASS). According to the report, Hurriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi said the S-400 systems would be handed over to a Persian Gulf country.

Taking part in a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Türkiye on July 7 and 8, and having held talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Donald Trump said Washington was ready to to Ankara on July 7.

“Turkey has been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal... It’s a great plane (F-35), it’s the best, now the best plane by far. And it is definitely something we will look at,” Trump told reporters on arriving in Ankara “Sale of the fighter to Turkey.

In 2017, Turkey bought four divisions of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia in a USD 2.5 billion deal. However, the decision angered the US after which, Türkiye, also a member of the NATO, was sanctioned under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The sanctions prohibit the sale of F-35s to Turkey even as Trump has said the US would lift all sanctions. US lawmakers have also said Türkiye would require to sell its S-400 air defence systems first.

India has New Delhi operating about four squadron of the S-400s, which is regarded as one of the best air defence systems of the world. In October 2018, India signed a USD 5.43 billion contract with Russia for five squadrons of S-400s.

However, India has not yet received even a single squadron as the delivery was delayed due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The S-400 also matured during ‘Operation Sindoor’ last year, when it allowed the Indian Armed Forces to successfully foil Pakistan’s attempt to target Indian military and civilian infrastructure.