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United States Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said Friday that Türkiye is moving closer to eliminating its Russian-made S-400 missile systems.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Barrack said: “Türkiye solved the operability issue; possession is more difficult,” he said. “I think those issues will be resolved in the upcoming four to six months.”
Türkiye was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after purchasing Russia's S-400 air defense system, a move that drew sharp criticism from Washington and other NATO allies. Despite its exclusion, Türkiye had already paid approximately $1.4 billion for the purchase of 100 F-35s. The U.S. has not returned those funds.
Barrack also said that remarks by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are “just rhetoric,” expressing confidence that “Türkiye and Israel will find their relationship at some point.”
Türkiye and President Erdogan have been among the strongest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Since Oct. 7, Erdogan has repeatedly accused Israel of committing a “complete genocide” and directly blamed Prime Minister Netanyahu for the killings.
Netanyahu, in turn, has criticized Türkiye and Erdogan for their position on Gaza and Palestine. In a Sept. 15 speech about Jerusalem, Netanyahu mentioned Erdogan by name, saying, “This is our city, (Mr.) Erdogan. Not yours, but ours. It will always be ours. It will never be divided again.”
A ceasefire that took effect Oct. 10 this year was supposed to halt the war, but Israel has violated it daily, resulting in hundreds more casualties. Israel also continues to restrict food and medicine entering Gaza, where some 2.4 million Palestinians face dire humanitarian conditions, the Gaza government media office said.
Israel has killed more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 171,000 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.
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