Turkey Rejects U.S. Request to Abandon Russian S-400 Air Defense System

U.S. media reports stated that Turkey has rejected a new request from Washington to abandon the Russian-made “S-400” air defense systems, reaffirming its commitment to the system, which has caused sharp tensions with the United States for years.

According to the reports, citing informed sources, Ankara expressed willingness to offer limited concessions regarding the operation of the system but refuses to completely abandon it as demanded by Washington.

Turkey signed a $2.5 billion contract with Russia in 2017 to purchase a full regiment of S-400 systems, which were delivered in 2019, leading to U.S. and Western sanctions on Ankara that targeted its defense industry sector.

Earlier, a Turkish source denied reports that the country intended to sell or return the system to Russia, confirming that the systems remain in service with the Turkish army—a position later reaffirmed by the Turkish Ministry of Defense, which stressed that “the situation will not change.”