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The Turkish move is allegedly an attempt at satisfying the USA.
The Kremlin confirmed Russia is talking closely with Turkey over the future of its advanced anti-aircraft missiles following local media reports that Ankara might offload its Russian-made weaponry to another buyer.
The situation surfaced after a Turkish newspaper suggested the hardware had already been sold to a Middle Eastern country. An announcement could happen very soon. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the rumors during a crucial press briefing on Friday.
“All I can say is that this issue is extremely sensitive. We have had contacts with the Turkish side on this matter, and we will continue those contacts,” Peskov stated according to Russian news agency TASS.
Chasing the fighters
According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, officials in Ankara are searching for a clever legal formula to satisfy the United States.
Escaping these heavy American sanctions would allow Turkey to rejoin a lucrative stealth fighter jet program.
The newspaper noted that selling the air defense gear to a Persian Gulf state could solve the entire problem. Meanwhile, Oksijen named the United Arab Emirates.
Washington previously kicked Turkey out of the high-tech fighter initiative as a direct punishment. It was a swift retaliation. The move came after Ankara ignored Western warnings and signed a massive defense contract with Moscow.
A costly dispute
Back in 2017, Turkey agreed to a 2.5 billion dollar contract to acquire four battalions of the Russian missile system. The state-owned corporation Rosoboronexport announced that all deliveries under the deal were finished by late 2019.
But the purchase came with an incredibly steep diplomatic cost. American officials repeatedly argued that operating Russian radars alongside Western jets would compromise top-secret military technology.
Now, Turkey is looking for a fresh start. Relocating the missiles away from its territory might be the exact key needed to fix its frozen alliance with Washington.
