By bne IntelliNews July 14, 2017
Turkey has agreed to pay $2.5bn to acquire Russia’s
advanced S-400 surface-to-air missile system (the “SA-21 Growler”), a senior
Turkish official told Bloomberg on July 13.
The preliminary agreement sees Turkey receiving two S-400
missile batteries from Russia within the next year, and then producing another
two inside Turkey, according to the source.
The Russian system would not be compatible with other
NATO defence systems, but also would not be subject to the same constraints
imposed by the alliance, the official said.
The Russian deal would allow Turkey to deploy the missile
defence systems anywhere in the country, the source added.
For Ankara, the key aspect of the deal is transfer of
technology, the official said.
“Turkey wants to be able to produce its own advanced
defence systems, and the Russian agreement to allow two of the S-400 batteries
to be produced in Turkey would serve that aim,” the source told the news
service.
According to the Turkish official, Ankara and Moscow are
currently sorting out technical details and it could take about one year to
finalise the project.
Turkey started talks with China Precision Machinery Import
and Export Corp (CPMIEC) on the missile system in September 2013, but opted not
to sign the final deal after Nato allies expressed concern over Ankara’s plans
to buy the system, citing security and compatibility problems.
Ankara then turned to Russia to buy the anti-aircraft
weapon system when in 2015 it cancelled the controversial deal with the Chinese
company.
With Ankara and Russia restoring ties, the talks on the
missile system have gained momentum.
“In the framework of our project to develop our national
defence system project, we will cooperate with France and Italy. This decision
has already been taken. We are now in talks with the US to cooperate in this
area as well,” Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on July 4.
Regarding the purchase of the Russian system, Isik
admitted that Ankara and Moscow still needed to resolve some financial issues.
It remains to be seen how Turkey’s Nato allies will react
to Ankara’s missile deal with Russia.
The Turkish armed forces are the second largest in Nato,
behind those of the US.
Ankara’s relations with two key Nato members, Germany and
the US, have deteriorated over the past year.
Washington’s decision to arm and cooperate with the
Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in the Raqqa offensive, deeply frustrated Ankara
which sees the Kurdish group as a terrorist organisation because of its ties to
the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which launched an insurgency against the
Turkish state in 1984.
Meanwhile Turkey’s relations with Germany have soured
especially after the failed coup attempt last year. Ankara accuses Berlin of
harbouring some of the coup plotters and members of other terrorist
organisations such as PKK.
Bilateral relations hit a new low during the April
referendum campaign in Turkey when Erdogan threw "Nazi" jibes at
Germany after local German authorities refused to allow Turkish ministers to
attend pro-Erdogan rallies to address expatriate voters.
Germany last month decided to pull its troops from
Turkey’s Incirlik base after Ankara denied a group of German lawmakers
permission to visit more than 250 German troops stationed there.
Source: intellinews.com
Related post:
S-400 Triumph (SA-21Growler): Details
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