Erdogan proposes to Putin to return S-400: Turkey wants to receive F-35.

According to ТСН: The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan, proposed to return the S-400 air defense missile systems to Russia, which Turkey purchased ten years ago.

According to sources, such a decision could positively impact Turkey's relations with the USA and other NATO countries, as well as open up the possibility of acquiring American stealth fighters F-35, which Ankara has long been trying to obtain permission for.

Prospects of refusing S-400

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barak noted that Turkey is approaching a decision to refuse S-400. He indicated that this issue could be resolved within the next four to six months.

Ankara hopes that its role as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine will encourage Moscow to be more open to this request, according to anonymous sources.

Reaction from the USA and NATO

The USA excluded Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 due to the acquisition of the S-400. NATO noted that using this system in conjunction with Western aircraft could provide Russia with valuable intelligence data. At this moment, Turkey is not operating this system.

The administration of the President of Turkey and the Ministry of Defense of the country refrained from commenting on this matter. The Kremlin also denied that such a proposal was made during the meeting of the leaders.

It is worth noting that at the international forum, Erdogan proposed to Putin to take a step towards peace by agreeing to a ceasefire and refraining from attacks on energy facilities and ports. However, shortly after this, Russia conducted a missile strike on the port of Chornomorsk in the Odessa region, hitting a civilian vessel owned by a Turkish company.

This proposal of Turkey regarding the S-400 could become an important step in restoring relations with the USA and NATO, which have significantly deteriorated after Turkey's acquisition of Russian missile systems. Observers believe that Ankara's actions could significantly impact regional security and political dynamics, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine.