Russia's Kremlin confirmed on July 10, 2026, that it is in contact with Turkey regarding the future of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems Turkey owns [1, 2, 3, 4]. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the issue as "extremely sensitive" and said, "we have been in contact with the Turkish side on this matter, and we will continue to maintain contact" [1].
Turkish media reported that Turkey could announce the resale of its S-400 systems to an unnamed country in the Persian Gulf around July 10, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Turkey, which acquired the Russian S-400 systems in 2020, has faced U.S. sanctions and was removed from the F-35 fighter jet program as a result [1, 2, 3, 4]. The purchase has been a longstanding point of tension between Turkey, Russia, and the U.S.
Turkey is seeking formal consent from Russia to resell the systems, as it does not have the authorization to re-export the weapons without Moscow's approval [4]. Turkish officials requested Russia's approval several weeks before July 10, 2026, following an earlier unsuccessful attempt to return the S-400s directly to Russia [4]. Although Turkey possesses the systems, it has not officially activated them [4, 3]. Turkey previously proposed keeping the systems under U.S. supervision to ease Washington's concerns about security risks to F-35 technology, but the U.S. rejected that offer [4].
Turkey’s possible sale of the S-400 to a Gulf country is seen as a strategy to persuade the U.S. to lift sanctions and allow Turkey back into the F-35 program [1, 2, 3, 4]. U.S. President Trump expressed a willingness to remove sanctions and restore Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program during talks with President Erdogan in early July 2026, although U.S. Congress remains cautious [3, 4].
President Erdogan responded to questions about the potential resale by saying he is "watching the situation closely" [3].
The Kremlin’s continued engagement with Turkey on the matter signals ongoing negotiation. The next key moment may come when Turkey formally announces its decision on reselling the S-400 systems to a Gulf state, expected soon after July 10, 2026.
