A recent Turkish plan to deploy its Russian-made S-400 missile defense system at Syria’s T-4 military airport has been blocked by Moscow.
The move was reportedly intended to serve dual goals: to protect Syrian airspace from Israeli airstrikes—as promised by Erdoğan to Syria’s new leader al-Julani—and to satisfy U.S. demands to remove the system from Turkish soil in exchange for access to F-35 stealth jets and the aircraft’s production line.
However, it appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shut down the plan. It's unclear whether Israeli pressure played a role or if the decision reflects Russia’s own strategic interests.
Washington has been exploring ways to help Turkey, a NATO ally, offload the S-400 system, which has strained its ties with the U.S. One idea floated last year was to store the system at a U.S. base in Turkey. Another suggestion was to sell it to a third country, such as India or Pakistan, after Turkey’s attempt to acquire the American Patriot missile system was blocked.
Turkey even considered sending the system to Ukraine, but all such plans face a major hurdle: Russia’s “End User Certificate” clause. According to Russian arms export laws and international arms control agreements, Turkey cannot transfer or sell the S-400 without explicit Russian approval.
Moscow, according to Russian news agency TASS, is unlikely to approve any such move. Strategically, Russia benefits from a NATO member owning the system—it led to Turkey’s expulsion from the F-35 program and drove a wedge between Ankara and the West.