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Kremlin denied a Bloomberg report claiming that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the issue of returning S-400 air defense systems to Russia during his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Ashgabat last week.
"This topic was not on the agenda," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday when asked to comment on Bloomberg's report.
Bloomberg had reported, citing sources, that Erdogan raised the possibility of returning the Russian-made S-400 systems during his meeting with Putin in Turkmenistan, and that this was demanded by Washington.
Peskov said Moscow does not believe the S-400 issue will impact Russian-Turkish relations.
"No, we do not," Peskov responded when asked whether the Kremlin considers this a blow to Russian-Turkish relations.
There were earlier reports claiming that the European Union is discussing the idea of purchasing Russian S-400 anti-aircraft and missile systems from Türkiye and transferring them to Ukraine, according to an informed diplomatic source who spoke to Russian media outlet RIA Novosti.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also commented on the EU's alleged idea to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems from Türkiye and send them to Ukraine, stating that "Ankara has obligations to Moscow on these systems."
"And the Republic of Türkiye owns these systems to the displeasure of the West, including the displeasure of the United States. And the United States, aware of Ankara's interest in buying F-35 fighter jets, conditioned the delivery of these aircraft on Türkiye's rejection of the S-400 anti-aircraft systems," Lavrov stated.
"This has long been 'floating' in the media space," he added.
Previously, Turkish military sources exclusively told Türkiye Today that handing S-400 air defense systems to another country is not on the table. The sources highlighted that Türkiye is not considering transferring the systems under any circumstances.
Türkiye purchased the S-400 air defense system from Russia, with deliveries beginning in July 2019. The acquisition led to Türkiye's removal from the U.S. F-35 fighter jet program and the imposition of sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Washington has repeatedly stated that for Türkiye to be reinstated in the F-35 program, both ownership and control of the S-400 system must be fully and permanently terminated.
Erdogan and Putin met in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Dec. 12 on the sidelines of a regional summit.
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