Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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Russia is discussing the possible transfer of its S-400 air defense systems currently held by Turkiye to another friendly country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

According to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, Peskov said that work and contacts were underway regarding the issue.

“The issue is on the agenda, relevant work is being carried out and relevant contacts are taking place,” Peskov said in response to a question about whether Russia was considering the possibility of transferring the systems from Turkiye to one of its friendly countries.

Turkiye signed a contract with Russia in 2017 to purchase S-400 air defense systems. The first S-400 systems were delivered to Turkiye between July 12 and 25, 2019.

The purchase triggered a major dispute between Turkiye and the United States, particularly over Ankara’s participation in the F-35 fighter jet program.

The United States began removing Turkiye from the F-35 program in 2019, arguing that the Russian-made S-400 system could pose a risk to the technology and classified capabilities of the F-35 and create compatibility problems with NATO’s integrated air defense systems.

The Pentagon maintained that the S-400 and F-35 systems could not be operated simultaneously, citing concerns that the Russian system could collect information about the F-35’s capabilities.

Turkiye’s acquisition of the S-400 subsequently became one of the most significant points of disagreement between Ankara and Washington over defense cooperation.