Turkey has said it will continue to turn to other suppliers of defense weapons if it fails to supply conventional Western allies, suggesting that Ankara's decision to buy Russian missiles could be’ repeated.
In a ministerial interview on Thursday,
the Turkish military needed an upgrade far beyond the scope of its current
purchase of its state-of-the-art S-400 system from Moscow.
"If you don't want me to buy it
elsewhere, you need to sell it," Cavusoglu said. "If you don't, we
will continue to buy from elsewhere. Today, it could be the S400. Tomorrow,
there will be another system. It doesn't matter.
These views are a clear statement so far
in which Ankara's defense intends to significantly upgrade its air defense
capabilities, even more provocatively with its partners in the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. Even at the cost of relationships. Although a draft agreement
with Russia for a second S-400 battery already exists, the minister indicated
that Turkey would not stop there.
We need more than two batteries.
"Two, three, five [batteries] until we're ready," Cavusoglu said,
referring to Turkey's potential for decades of civil war in an unstable part of
the world, especially in neighboring Syria. Referring to the dangers.
Patriot replacement
Turkey has been at war with the United
States over its Patriot missile system for years, and Washington has refused to
comply with technology transfer demands. The decision to buy the S-400 sparked
a relationship with Washington that has soured other issues, and the Trump
administration has stopped Ankara from stopping the development of modern F-35
fighter jets.
The United States says the Russian system
could gather important information about NATO operations, including the F-35.
The United States recently proposed the
Patriots as part of resolving the stalemate, including Turkey abandoning the
S-400. Ankara has so far refused to go along with the threat of US sanctions,
saying it would not change its mind on the defense issue.
Election battle
Cavusoglu said US-made missiles were still
an alternative to Turkey, but that such a purchase could not be imposed’ on
Ankara.
Turkey has not yet activated the S-400,
which was shipped’ last year, leading some observers to conclude that Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the raw material for Turkish President Donald
Trump's re-election campaign. They want to avoid getting involved in politics.
Resolved later.
Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin
have cooperated in some flashpoints in the Middle East, but have also supported
opposition parties in other countries, including the conflict in Syria and
Libya.
The White House has resisted growing
pressure from Congress to retaliate against Turkey over its S-400 purchase. But
bipartisan legislation passed by the House of Representatives has called for
sanctions.
Last month, Erdogan's spokesman said the
process of launching missiles was still under way.
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