Bloomberg, citing sources, reports that Ankara is seeking to return the S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems purchased from Russia. According to the agency, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the issue with Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Turkmenistan last week.
The Kremlin has already denied reports that it made such a request directly, but Bloomberg reports that similar discussions have taken place between officials from the two countries in the past.
Ankara, according to the sources, hopes to improve relations with the United States. The rejection of the S-400s could be a step toward lifting sanctions on the Turkish defense industry and Turkey's return to the F-35 fighter program. One Turkish diplomat suggested that the sanctions could be lifted as early as next year.
Recall that Turkey purchased the S-400 from Russia in 2017, sparking a sharp conflict with the United States and leading to the country's exclusion from the F-35 program.
