Turkey secretly sold its Russian-made S-400 air defence systems to a Gulf state, Hürriyet reports
Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, citing senior defence columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, reported on July 10 that Turkey had already completed the sale of its Russian-made S-400 systems to a Gulf state, most likely the UAE or Qatar; an official announcement was expected the same day; analysts and Greek media said the sale could reopen negotiations for Turkey to obtain US-made F-35 jets, from which Ankara has been excluded since 2019
Add to a list
No lists yet.
Summary
Turkey has sold the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile systems it purchased in 2017 to a Gulf state, most likely the UAE or Qatar, according to Hürriyet's senior defence columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, who reported the deal was concluded and an official announcement was expected July 10. Turkey purchased four divisions of the S-400 from Russia for approximately US$2.5 billion, and the acquisition triggered Ankara's expulsion from the US F-35 program in 2019. At the NATO Ankara summit on July 7, US President Donald Trump signalled F-35s could be offered to Turkey, and analysts in Greece and India read the S-400 disposal as the necessary precondition for that deal to proceed. Neither the Turkish government, the US, nor any named Gulf state had officially confirmed the transaction in available reporting.
The split
Hürriyet's column, carried via wire aggregators, framed the sale as a diplomatic move enabling the F-35 pathway. Athens Times read it primarily as a NATO Alliance cohesion gain: removing Russian electronic systems from a NATO member's arsenal removes a persistent intelligence-exposure concern. India TV News emphasised the sequencing, noting Trump's F-35 offer at the Ankara summit appeared to precede the disposal rather than follow it, suggesting the deal was coordinated.
By the numbers
- US$2.5 billion, Turkey's original 2017 purchase price for four S-400 divisions from Russia
- 7 years, Turkey held the systems before the reported sale
- 2019, year Turkey was excluded from the F-35 program over the S-400
Why it matters
The S-400 has been the central obstacle in Turkey-US defence ties since 2019 and a recurring source of NATO Alliance tension. If confirmed, the disposal removes the primary stated bar to Turkey's F-35 acquisition and resolves NATO's concern about Russian radar signatures being exposed to a member's air system. It also signals that Ankara is choosing Western alignment over the political symbolism of the Russian purchase.
What to watch
- Official confirmation from Ankara or Washington of the sale and the buyer's identity
- Whether Turkey formally reapplies for F-35 access and on what timeline
- Russian reaction to the disposal of a system Moscow sold with the understanding it would not be transferred