Türkiye determined to buy Russian S-400 because US won't sell missiles
Turkish Foreign Minister reveals why Ankara is determined to pursue an arms contract with Moscow, despite threats from Washington.
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Russian soldiers next to the launcher of the S-400 complex in Crimea. Photo:TASS. |
"We have been trying to buy air defense systems like Patriot from our American friends for the past 10 years, but it has not yielded any results. We have an urgent need and Russia offered the best deal, that is why Türkiye chose to buy the S-400 long-range air defense missiles,"Sputnikquoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying yesterday.
Foreign Minister Cavusoglu affirmed that the $2.5 billion contract between Ankara and Moscow to buy four S-400 systems is being implemented and cannot be canceled. However, he left open the possibility that Türkiye will continue to buy weapons from the US and its allies in the future. "Let's wait and see who makes the best proposal," the Turkish official added.
A Pentagon spokesman said in mid-November that US officials were discussing with Türkiye to find an alternative to the S-400, but it appeared that this had not yielded any results.
The S-400 deal was signed by Türkiye and Russia in December 2017, despite strong objections from the US. Washington criticized Ankara for buying military technology from Moscow, saying it could be incompatible with NATO equipment, and threatened to impose sanctions if the deal went ahead.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that the purchase of the S-400 system is Ankara's own business and has nothing to do with any other country. Satellite images in late October showed that Türkiye had completed construction of several structures "consistent with the prototype" of the S-400 system, including a launch site and concrete storage silos.