Turkey’s FM says working with US on ‘creative ideas’ to solve S-400 missile issue

By Reuters 19 September 2026, 10:30 pm

Edit

Military vehicles and equipment, parts of the S-400 air defense systems, are unloaded from a Russian transport aircraft, at Murted military airport in Ankara, Turkey, July 12, 2019. (Turkish Defence Ministry via AP, Pool)

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says that Ankara and Washington were working on “creative ideas” to lift US sanctions imposed on Turkey over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems.

Speaking to broadcaster NTV, Fidan does not elaborate on what the ideas were, but says he is hoping for positive steps on the issue. Washington imposed CAATSA sanctions on its NATO ally in 2020 and removed it from its F-35 fighter jet program due to the acquisition of the Russian systems.

In July, Turkish media reported that Turkey could resell the S-400s to a Gulf nation in order to persuade the US to sell F-35s to Ankara. Russia said at the time it was in contact with Ankara on the issue.