The Turkish Ministry of Defense, instead of criticizing the purchase of S-400 anti-aircraft systems from Russia, expects "alternative solutions" from NATO allies.

This was announced in the department after the United States expressed concern about the recent Turkish military tests of this weapon.

The Turkish side recalled that other NATO countries are also armed with Russian S-300 air defense systems (in particular Greece, Bulgaria and Slovakia), and Ankara will also use its complexes independently and without integration into the NATO command system.

“The statements that Turkey, which fulfills all its obligations within NATO, is acting in spite of NATO, are incorrect.

We expect from our allies and friends that instead of rhetoric that relations will deteriorate, we will focus on finding alternative solutions and technical measures for the S-400, if any, ”TASS quotes a statement from Turkish Defense Ministry spokesman Nadide Sebnem Aktop.

Earlier, the head of the department, Hulusi Akar, said that the verification and preparation for the deployment of the S-400 air defense systems acquired from Russia continues.

Controversial trials

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also previously confirmed that the Turkish military is testing Russian S-400 air defense systems, and stressed that Ankara is not going to take into account the US position on this issue.

From the US side, a number of officials condemned the tests.

Thus, the American permanent representative to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison called the purchase and deployment of Russian weapons on the territory of the alliance countries "unacceptable."

In turn, the official representative of the State Department, Morgan Ortagus, threatened Ankara with serious security consequences if the complexes were adopted.

The Pentagon also expressed concern about the test.

Recall that after Ankara and Moscow signed a contract for the supply of S-400 complexes in 2017, Washington has repeatedly tried to force the Turkish side to abandon the deal.

Thus, Turkey was excluded from the F-35 fifth generation fighter program.

Turkish companies have been participating in the fighter aircraft production program since 2002 and in total supplied 6-7% of the total volume of units for the aircraft.

It should be noted, however, that the expiration date for Ankara was set in 2022.

In addition, American senators in 2019 prepared a bill prohibiting the sale of fifth-generation F-35 fighters to Turkey if it buys the S-400 air defense system from Russia.

The text of the document indicated that the use of the S-400 along with American aircraft jeopardizes the secrecy of the technologies and operations of the US Air Force.

Under the contract with the United States, Ankara was supposed to receive about 100 F-35 fighters from 2018 - ten vehicles every year for ten years.

However, the United States managed to supply only two fighters to Turkey before the transfer of the remaining aircraft was frozen by the US Senate.

In July, the American edition of Defense News reported that eight F-35As intended for Turkey, which are in varying degrees of readiness, will be purchased from the US Air Force from Lockheed Martin.

Six more aircraft will be partially modified to meet American standards.

Also in the United States, the training program for Turkish Air Force pilots to control these aircraft was terminated.

"Far-fetched situation"

In addition, Washington has threatened to impose sanctions against Turkey for purchasing the S-400 from Russia as part of the 2017 Congress Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which provides restrictive measures against countries cooperating with the Russian defense sector.

However, during this time, the United States did not introduce new restrictive measures against Ankara, constantly urging it to abandon the adoption of the S-400 into service.

In August 2020, Turkey and Russia signed a contract for the supply of the second batch of S-400 air defense systems.

This was announced by the head of Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev.

  • Delivery of Russian S-400 air defense systems to Turkey, July 2019

  • AFP

  • © Turkish Defense Ministry

In early October, US senators once again called on the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Ankara after reports emerged that the Turkish military had used C-400 radars to track an American-made F-16 fighter jet owned by the Greek armed forces.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen and Republican James Lankford sent a letter to the head of the State Department, Mike Pompeo.

They also asked the secretary of state to find out if the Turkish military had connected the S-400 to the alliance's tactical data transmission system and "whether this would allow Russia to collect information on NATO allies."

Meanwhile, as experts note, Turkey's position on the acquisition of Russian weapons is quite justified, despite its NATO membership.

“This is a far-fetched political situation, because earlier Greece, Bulgaria and Slovakia, which, like Turkey, are NATO members, bought the S-300 air defense system, and this did not subsequently provoke conflicts.

In addition, if the United States were interested in meeting Turkey halfway, they would sell it a Patriot, which is integrated into NATO's common missile defense system, "military expert Yuri Knutov said in a conversation with RT.

Recall that Turkey offered to buy Patriot missile defense systems from the United States, but Washington did not make reciprocal steps in this direction.

Yuri Knutov believes that the United States intends to ensure that Turkey provides American specialists with access to the study of the S-400 system and, accordingly, Russian technologies.

This, as the analyst notes, would allow Petagon to close the gap in the development of air defense systems.

“Undoubtedly, the S-400 poses a direct threat to American aircraft.

If suddenly a conflict arises between Turkey and the United States, the American side will suffer serious losses, including the F-35 and F-22.

In addition, Ankara holds on to the S-400, because it understands that the Russian complex operates autonomously, unlike Patriot, which can turn off Washington via a satellite, ”the expert noted.

The situation with the contradictions between Turkey and the United States over the S-400 should also be considered in the geopolitical plane, analysts say.

As Sergei Ermakov, head of the regional security sector at the RISS Defense Research Center, noted in an interview with RT, in this case it is also about the fact that Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to pursue an independent foreign policy line.

“The United States views the current moment as a kind of transitional period in the world order.

Naturally, to secure global leadership, the American authorities must rely on trusting relationships with their allies.

In this regard, Washington reacts rather sharply to Ankara's actions, which undermine transatlantic solidarity and unity.

In addition, Erdogan bought the S-400 air defense systems, which are of key importance in any modern military conflict, from a state that the United States and NATO represent as the main global threat, ”the political scientist stressed.

In his opinion, the United States is now extremely concerned that Turkey is getting out of their influence.

“The technical issue is not a key one, since Greece and other NATO countries have the Russian S-300 system.

This is a political issue.

Turkey's independent position undermines stability within NATO, as well as solidarity and unquestioning adherence to Washington's course.

The President of Turkey needs this weapon in order to show himself as a strong leader, for whom serious geopolitical ambitions are of particular importance, ”Ermakov concluded.