According to Forbes, the possibility of Turkey selling the S-400 air defense systems it purchased from Russia to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has turned into a new diplomatic tension.
It was claimed that Israel did not want Ankara to dispose of the S-400s, paving the way for the removal of US sanctions and its return to the F-35 program, so it pressured the UAE administration to give up the sale.
Türkiye received the first delivery of the S-400 systems, which it ordered from Russia in 2017, in July 2019. After this, the USA removed Ankara from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program and did not deliver the warplanes produced for Türkiye. Washington imposed sanctions on Turkey within the scope of CAATSA in 2020.
Forbes' news also included the statements made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov within the scope of the United Nations General Assembly on September 26.
Lavrov said that it is possible for Turkey to transfer the S-400 systems to a third country, but this depends on Russia's approval. Stating that the country that will purchase the system must have friendly relations with Moscow, Lavrov also stated that assurances were requested that the S-400s would not be sent to Ukraine later.
S-400'S ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES TO F-35'S
According to Forbes, Ankara has recently been evaluating different options to overcome the S-400 problem, which has not been resolved for years in relations with Washington.
The USA had opposed Turkey's purchase of S-400 systems from the beginning, arguing that the systems posed a security risk for NATO infrastructure and F-35 technology.
The continued availability of S-400s in Turkey remains one of the main problems preventing Ankara from returning to the F-35 program.
SALES FORMULA TO UAE
Forbes drew attention to an option that came to the fore in the Turkish press in July and was later reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Accordingly, the possibility of Ankara selling S-400 systems to the UAE is being evaluated. It is stated that if such a sale takes place, Turkey can take an important step in resolving the sanctions crisis with the USA by removing the systems from its territory.
The news also included the assessment that S-400s could add a new layer of defense to the multi-layered air defense system that the UAE currently has.
Forbes also reminded us of the recent statements of the US Ambassador to Ankara, Tom Barrack.
In his statement on September 21, Barrack said that the S-400 dispute between Türkiye and the USA will be "resolved". In another statement he made two days later, he stated that the process may take time and stated that Washington and Ankara were working on CAATSA sanctions and other conditions brought by the US Congress.
The news stated that it is of critical importance for Washington to remove the S-400 systems and their elements from Turkish territory so that Turkey can purchase F-35s again.
ISRAEL'S CLAIM OF PRESSURE ON THE UAE
According to Forbes, another factor that makes the process difficult is Israel's attitude.
In the news, referring to Haber7 writer Mehmet Acet's article published on September 23, it was claimed that Russia was not the real obstacle to the sale of S-400s to the UAE.
According to Acet's claim, based on an unnamed source, Ankara and Moscow reached a common understanding regarding the possible sale. However, the Israeli administration is putting pressure on Abu Dhabi to prevent the UAE from purchasing S-400s from Turkey.
Allegedly, Israel's main concern is that CAATSA sanctions will be lifted after Turkey solves the S-400 problem, paving the way for Ankara to return to the F-35 program.
ISRAEL AGAINST TURKEY'S BUYING F-35
In Forbes' analysis, it was reminded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously openly opposed Turkey's possession of F-35 warplanes.
The Israeli administration argues that Turkey's possession of the F-35 fleet could affect the balance of military power in the region and Israel's security calculations.
For this reason, the news included the assessment that for Israel, Turkey's possession of unused S-400 systems may be a more preferable scenario than Ankara's possession of dozens of F-35s.
COMPETITION IN SYRIA IS ALSO IN THE EQUATION
Forbes also pointed out that the military competition between Türkiye and Israel is not limited to the S-400 and F-35 titles.
The news reminded that Israel opposes Turkey establishing a larger military presence in Syria and has previously targeted some military facilities that were claimed to be available to Ankara.
In the news of Reuters dated February 2025, it was stated that Israel made attempts before the USA to protect Russia's military bases in the country in order to create a balance against Turkey's military influence in Syria.
