Ankara,
Moscow continue negotiations over S-400 defense systems, gov't sources say
EDA IŞIK
Turkey has
continued its negotiations with Russia regarding the purchase of the Russian
S-400 long-range air defense system, sources in the government have confirmed.
Underscoring
Turkey's urgent demand for a long-range air defense system, sources said talks
with Russia continued, and in the case of Moscow and Ankara reaching a deal,
the two countries will also collaborate in developing a new system. The sources
said negotiations on both matters are simultaneously ongoing.
Along with
the S-400 anti-aircraft system, Russia also owns technologically older defense
systems, such as the S-300 and Antey-2500. However, Turkey is looking to
purchase the latest S-400 systems.
Last November,
some Turkish media outlets claimed that Turkey was expecting an offer from
Moscow, regarding the purchase of the S-400, in what could be the culmination
of Ankara's long-awaited procurement process to avail itself of a long-range
missile defense system. It was also reported that Moscow was leaning toward
selling the system to Turkey which Russia had previously agreed to sell to
India and China.
Turkey's
long-known desire to purchase a long-range air missile defense system has been
a hot topic since 2013. In September that year Turkey's military procurement
agency, the undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM), chose the China
Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation's (CPMIEC) FD-2000 (HQ-9)
long-range air and missile defense system over American and European
competitors, after speculations that Turkey held talks with the French-Italian
consortium Eurosam regarding the SAMP/T Aster 30 missile defense system.
Russia had
also bid for the tender. However, due to Moscow's unwillingness to do technology
transfer and a higher price compared to its competitors from China and Eurosam,
it was eliminated. But, with some heavy pressure from the NATO, Turkey in
November 2015 announced that the deal was off.
Following the
decision, Turkish sources announced that Ankara was now planning to launch its
own project to build a similar system, and now in the light of the recent
Russian-Turkish normalization process, the purchase and co-production of
Russia's S-400 missile system has reappeared as a viable option for Turkey.
This
development was met with surprise when Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a
statement last October said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish
counterpart President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have discussed the possibility of
supplying the Russian air defense system to Ankara.
If Turkey
agrees a deal with Moscow regarding a long-range air defense system, however,
it is likely to come under pressure from the NATO for not "being
compatible with NATO systems."
Nevertheless,
Ankara seems less likely to give in to NATO pressures this time, as it was left
alone in its fight against threats coming through the Syrian borders.
Meanwhile, NATO has recalled its Patriot defense system near Turkish borders,
despite the country facing serious cross-border threats in its southern region.
Original
post: dailysabah.com
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