Is Turkey about to ditch its Russian S-400 missile system?

Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian-manufactured S-400 missile air defense system in 2019 (in place of United States or NATO-manufactured equivalents) resulted, not only in Turkey being booted out of the F-35 program but also in the imposition of U.S. sanctions.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has brushed away international criticism and called the S400 a “done deal.” This single acquisition has poisoned Ankara’s relationship with the West and prevented Turkey from being able to acquire alternative platforms to the F-35 from the U.S., namely the F-16.