Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that his country was working with the United States on “innovative ideas” to address the dispute stemming from Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile system, in an effort to lift US sanctions imposed on Türkiye’s defence industry.
Fidan reveals efforts to resolve S-400 dispute
Fidan said in a televised interview that the sanctions represented a burden for Türkiye, particularly for the Presidency of Defence Industries, noting that the two sides were trying to find ways to resolve the issue of the Russian system, which had led to the restrictions being imposed. He added that Ankara and Washington were working in good faith to put those ideas into practice and find a solution, expressing hope that positive steps would be taken on the issue.
The Turkish minister did not disclose the nature of the proposals under discussion or the stage the talks had reached. On 14 December 2020, the United States imposed sanctions on Türkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, known as CAATSA, over the purchase of the S-400 system from Russia.
The US measures included a ban on issuing US licences and export permits to the Presidency of Defence Industries, as well as the freezing of assets and visa restrictions on several of its officials. Washington linked the sanctions to Ankara’s deal with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main state agency responsible for arms exports.
The sanctions followed a US decision whose implementation began in July 2019 to remove Türkiye from the F-35 fighter jet programme after it took delivery of the Russian system. The US Defence Department said at the time that operating the S-400 alongside the F-35 could threaten the security of the fighter’s technologies and its stealth and data-collection capabilities.
Working group explores settlement on sanctions and F-35
In July 2026, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gümrükçü said the two countries had moved closer to addressing the dispute over the sanctions and the F-35 programme, explaining that a joint political and military working group had examined options that took account of US legal obligations and Türkiye’s political and economic considerations. He did not specify the form a possible settlement might take or when it could be reached.
Turkish media reported in July on the possibility of reselling the S-400 system to a Gulf state, among options that could pave the way for lifting the sanctions and for Washington to approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara. Russia said at the time that it was in contact with the Turkish side on the issue. In September, US Congressman Darrell Issa spoke of discussions that included the possibility of transferring the system to the United Arab Emirates, saying that this option could represent a possible solution.
He said the central issue concerned how any arrangement would be implemented, without announcing an official agreement among the parties concerned. Türkiye is seeking to end the sanctions imposed on its Presidency of Defence Industries and return to the F-35 programme, while the status of the S-400 system has remained the main point of disagreement with Washington.
Fidan’s remarks come as the two sides continue to discuss a formula that meets US legal requirements and Türkiye’s defence interests.
