Hürriyet: Türkiye's S-400 systems head for Gulf buyer

Türkiye has reportedly sold its Russian-made S-400 air defence systems to a Gulf country, with an official announcement expected later on Friday (July 10), according to Turkish columnist Abdulkadir Selvi.

Writing in the daily Hürriyet, Selvi said the sale had been finalised after last-minute issues were resolved overnight. He reported that the buyer is believed to be either the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, although no official confirmation has been made.

The reported sale comes after US President Donald Trump announced that sanctions imposed on Türkiye under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) would be lifted. Washington imposed the sanctions after Ankara acquired the Russian S-400 missile defence system, arguing that its deployment posed risks to NATO security and the F-35 fighter programme.

According to the report, lifting the sanctions would require Trump to notify the US Congress that the S-400 systems are no longer operational, that Türkiye no longer possesses them, and that Ankara has committed not to pursue similar defence cooperation with Russia in the future. If members of Congress determine that those conditions have not been met, the matter could be put to a vote.

Selvi wrote that the reported transfer would allow Türkiye to remove one of the main obstacles in its defence ties with the United States while also generating revenue from the sale of the systems. He added that regional security concerns had prompted Gulf states to seek alternative air defence capabilities, although he did not provide evidence linking those developments directly to the reported deal.

By Aghakazim Guliyev