Turkey seeks exit from Russian S-400 deal as it reengages U.S., analyst says

Turkey appears to be seeking a way out of its acquisition of Russia's S-400 air defense system as it works to restore defense ties with the United States and NATO, although Moscow is likely to demand significant concessions in return, Armenian political analyst Hakob Badalyan said.

In a social media post on Friday, Badalyan commented on Turkish media reports that Ankara may transfer its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to a Middle Eastern country, with Qatar or the United Arab Emirates mentioned as possible destinations. The reports have not been officially denied by Turkish authorities.

Badalyan argued that any such transfer would require Russia's approval. He suggested that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's two-day visit to Russia ahead of the NATO summit, during which he also met President Vladimir Putin, was likely aimed in part at securing Moscow's consent.

Turkey's purchase of the S-400 system from Russia prompted U.S. sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and led Washington to remove Ankara from the F-35 fighter jet program.

According to Badalyan, Turkey is now seeking to normalize defense relations with Washington by relinquishing the Russian air defense system in exchange for renewed cooperation on military programs.

He said the sequence reflects a broader pattern in Turkish foreign policy.

"About a decade ago, Turkey extracted important concessions from Russia by purchasing the S-400s and, perhaps, signaling a willingness to challenge NATO," Badalyan wrote. "Now it is moving away from those systems and reaching an understanding with the United States and NATO after obtaining what it wanted from Moscow."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that Russia and Turkey are discussing the future of the S-400 systems, describing the matter as "very sensitive."

Badalyan said Moscow is likely to demand a substantial price for allowing Ankara to dispose of the systems. While Turkey may appear to have successfully shifted from cooperation with Russia back toward Washington and Europe, he argued that Ankara could ultimately find itself constrained by the complexity of the current geopolitical environment.

He also pointed to the circumstances surrounding Fidan's visit, noting that after traveling to Moscow, the Turkish foreign minister continued to Kazan, where he met Putin.

Badalyan suggested the location carried symbolic significance. Tatarstan has long been viewed by Turkey as a center of the Turkic world within Russia, and he argued that the Kremlin may have intended to underscore Moscow's authority by arranging the meeting there.

He recalled that several years ago, Turkey hosted the head of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan with honors that, in his view, resembled those accorded to the leader of an independent state.