Azernews.Az

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday thatTürkiye's ownership of the Russian-made S-400 defense system is a "very sensitive" topic. "We have had contacts with the Turkish side on this matter. And we will continue to have contacts," Peskov continued, AzerNEWS reports.

At the closing NATO presser this week in Ankara, Secretary General Mark Rutte noted that the problem with Türkiye being an alliance member possessing Russian weapons is a "bilateral" matter between that state and the US.

Still, Washington is said to be closer to lifting the ban on F-35 sales, even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vocally opposing the move.

Türkiye has asked Russia to approve the transfer of its Russian-made S-400 air defence missile systems to a third country, in a move aimed at removing a key obstacle to rejoining the US-led F-35 fighter jet programme, Bloomberg reported on Friday (July 10), citing Turkish officials.

According to the report, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks in Kazan in June.

The proposal reportedly envisages relocating the S-400 systems to another country, although the Kremlin has yet to provide an official response.

Ankara purchased the S-400 systems from Russia in 2019 despite strong objections from the United States and NATO allies.

The acquisition prompted Washington to remove Türkiye from the F-35 programme and impose sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), citing concerns that the Russian system could compromise the stealth capabilities of the fifth-generation aircraft.

However, US lawmakers remain sceptical that transferring the S-400 systems to a third country would resolve those concerns. Several senators have argued that the proposal does not adequately address the security issues that led to Türkiye's exclusion from the programme.

The S-400 batteries are currently reported to be in storage and are not deployed on active operational duty, Bloomberg said.