Turkey has reportedly finalised the sale of its Russian-made S-400 air defence systems to an unnamed Gulf state, according to the pro-government daily Hürriyet. The report, citing columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, identified the United Arab Emirates or Qatar as the likely buyer, though neither Ankara nor any Gulf capital has confirmed the transaction. The move, if verified, would remove the primary obstacle that led Washington to expel Turkey from the F-35 fighter programme and impose sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act in 2019.

The Kremlin described the matter as “extremely sensitive” and confirmed that Moscow and Ankara have been in contact and will continue discussions. US President Donald Trump, after meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the NATO summit, signalled a willingness to lift sanctions and reconsider F-35 sales, though he later tempered his remarks, saying no final decision had been made. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched an unusually public campaign against any such transfer, telling American television that supplying F-35s to Turkey would “destroy the power balance” in the Middle East and describing Erdoğan as a leader who “openly calls for the annihilation of Israel.”

Viewed from Jerusalem, the prospect of Turkish F-35s compounds a broader strategic anxiety. Israeli military planners point to Ankara’s expanding footprint in Syria, its development of an indigenous defence industry, and its increasingly hostile rhetoric. Israeli officials, speaking anonymously, warn that Turkish access to the stealth fighter would erode the Israel Air Force’s qualitative edge, complicate long-range operations, and potentially allow Turkey to study the aircraft’s vulnerabilities. Greece has joined Israel in lobbying the Pentagon and Congress to block the sale, according to Israeli media. For Turkey, shedding the S-400s would unlock not only the F-35 pathway but also access to engines for its KAAN fighter project and the removal of sanctions, a triple gain that Ankara has long sought.

The transaction remains unconfirmed, and any US decision to readmit Turkey to the F-35 programme faces significant congressional hurdles. Under existing legislation, the president must certify that the S-400s are no longer in Turkey and that Ankara will not pursue similar defence cooperation with Russia. Lawmakers sceptical of Erdoğan’s regional ambitions are expected to scrutinise any such certification. The dossier now moves to a phase of quiet diplomacy and public posturing, with the White House weighing a potential reset with a NATO ally against the risk of rupturing the strategic consensus with Israel and Greece.