Turkey is seeking Russia's approval to transfer the S-400 air defense systems it purchased from Moscow to a third country, in order to ease US concerns about obtaining American F-35 fighter jets, according to Bloomberg.

Ankara made this request in recent weeks, a few months after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed returning the S-400 missile systems to Russia, an idea that has not made any notable progress, according to Turkish officials who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the confidentiality of the discussions.

Transferring the S-400 system to a third country may not solve the problem either, as US senators told reporters this week that the transfer would not address security concerns.

Discussions with Russia began before the NATO leaders' summit in Ankara this week, when President Donald Trump hinted that he might soon reverse his decision to ban Turkey from purchasing F-35 fighter jets from the United States.

US oversight

The latest proposal came after Turkey raised the possibility of keeping the S-400 system while allowing the United States to oversee its operation, in order to allay concerns that the data collected by the system could compromise the stealth capabilities of fifth-generation F-35 jets.

According to Bloomberg, informed sources said this proposal was not accepted by US officials. Turkish officials stated that Ankara currently does not use the system despite possessing it.

Turkey was barred from acquiring these advanced aircraft after receiving the Russian S-400 air defense systems in 2019. Washington has stressed that Ankara must abandon the Russian systems before being allowed to rejoin the F-35 program.

Officials explained that if Russia approves Turkey's request, the S-400 batteries currently in Turkey would be moved elsewhere, declining to specify a potential destination. They added that Russia has not yet responded to Ankara.

Officials said this issue was on the agenda of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during his visit to the Russian city of Kazan in June, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media on Friday that the matter is "very sensitive." He added that Russia "has been in contact with the Turkish side on this issue, and we will continue these contacts," without elaborating on the nature of the talks.

How did the crisis begin?

Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he has not yet made a final decision on allowing Turkey to purchase F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin.

Speaking about Erdogan during a press conference at the conclusion of the NATO summit, Trump said: "I haven't made my final decision yet, but I'm inclined to say, look, he has done everything, and he has helped us in many ways."

Turkey purchased the S-400 system during a period of strained relations with NATO allies, which began under Barack Obama's presidency and escalated after the failed coup attempt against Erdogan in 2016.

At that time, Turkey was also seeking to purchase US-made Patriot systems, but it claimed that Washington was not committed to finalizing the deal.

This frustration became part of Ankara's justification for turning to Russia and purchasing the S-400 system.

After the United States excluded Ankara from the F-35 program, it resorted to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in 2020 to prevent Turkish defense industries from obtaining other sensitive technologies.