US Ambassador Says S-400 Issue Will Take Time, Calls Turkey-US Defence Cooperation 'Essential'

The United States ambassador, Tom Barrack, said that resolving the long-running dispute over Turkey's acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system will take time, while stressing that defence cooperation between Turkey and the United States remains “essential” for both NATO allies.

Barrack described relations between Ankara and Washington as having “never been better,” according to remarks carried by Anadolu Agency. He did not lay out a specific timeline for resolving the S-400 issue, which has weighed on bilateral defence ties for years after Turkey's 2019 purchase of the system led to its removal from the US-led F-35 fighter jet programme.

Dialogue With Iran Also Addressed

The ambassador also characterised ongoing dialogue with Iran as “a step in the right direction,” though he did not provide further detail on the substance or format of that engagement in the remarks reported.

The comments come as Turkey and the United States continue efforts to manage a relationship that has included periods of friction over issues including the S-400 purchase, sanctions, and regional policy differences, alongside continued cooperation as NATO allies on security matters.

Neither the Turkish government nor the US State Department issued additional statements elaborating on Barrack's remarks at the time of reporting.