Hasan Unal warns S-400 transfer could strain Turkey’s ties with Russia

International relations professor Hasan Unal has warned that transferring Turkey’s S-400 systems to a third country to regain access to the F-35 programme could damage Ankara’s relationship with Moscow. RIA Novosti reported his assessment on October 10, citing Haber Global.

Unal argues that the Russian systems remain important to Turkey’s defence. He says they have undergone testing and are combat-ready, while Turkey’s domestic air defence systems have yet to match their capabilities.

He links his concerns to regional tensions and statements about possible preventive strikes by Greece. He attributes the debate over F-35 access to advocates of buying American fighters. These are the professor’s assessments, rather than an announced decision by the Turkish government.

In late September, Dmitry Peskov said relocating the S-400 systems from Turkey was being discussed and contacts were under way. Sergei Lavrov indicated that Russia could consider a transfer to a country maintaining friendly relations with Moscow. That possibility does not establish that a transfer agreement has been reached.

Turkey signed its contract for the Russian systems in 2017 and received them during the summer and autumn of 2019. Washington urged Ankara to choose Patriot systems instead. After the purchase, the United States removed Turkey from the F-35 programme and imposed CAATSA sanctions on officials in its defence industry.