Turkije keert rug tegen NATO kiest voor Russische luchtafweergeschut

Turkey Chooses Russia Over NATO for Missile Defense
Turkey agrees to pay $2.5b for 4 Russian S-400 SAMs: official
Russia offer for transfer of know-how said to seal the deal



Turkey has agreed to pay $2.5 billion to acquire Russia’s most advanced missile defense system, a senior Turkish official said, in a deal that signals a turn away from the NATO military alliance that has anchored Turkey to the West for more than six decades.

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 Turkish official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. A spokesman for Russia’s arms-export company Rosoboronexport OJSC said he couldn’t immediately comment on details of a deal with Turkey.

Turkey has reached the point of an agreement on a missile defense system before, only to scupper the deal later amid protests and condemnation from NATO. Under pressure from the U.S., Turkey gave up an earlier plan to buy a similar missile-defense system from a state-run Chinese company, which had been sanctioned by the U.S. for alleged missile sales to Iran.

The Turkey-NATO alliance, a key element of the Western Cold War-era security stance, has been strained in recent years, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pursuing a more assertive and independent foreign policy while conflict engulfed neighboring countries including Iraq and Syria. Tensions with the U.S. mounted over U.S. support for Kurdish militants in Syria that Turkey considers terrorists, and the relationship with the European Union soured as the bloc pushed back against what it sees as Turkey’s increasingly autocratic turn. Last month, Germany decided to withdraw from the main NATO base in Turkey, Incirlik, after Turkey refused to allow German lawmakers to visit troops there.
Turkey ‘Disappointed’

The missile deal with Russia “is a clear sign that Turkey is disappointed in the U.S. and Europe,” said Konstantin Makienko, an analyst at the Center for Analysis and Technology, a Moscow think-tank. “But until the advance is paid and the assembly begins, we can’t be sure of anything.”

The Russian system would not be compatible with other NATO defense systems, but also wouldn’t be subject to the same constraints imposed by the alliance, which prevents Turkey from deploying such systems on the Armenian border, Aegean coast or Greek border, the official said. The Russian deal would allow Turkey to deploy the missile defense systems anywhere in the country, the official said.

https://www.bloomberg.com(...)4-russian-s-400-sams


Met het toestel kan elk gevechtsvliegtuig binnen een straal van 400 kilometer uit de lucht geschoten worden, tevens kan het tientallen doelwitten tegelijk volgen en aanvallen. Het toestel is een preciesere versie van de Amerikaanse Patriot.

Slimme zet van de Turken. Immers met deze deal krijgen ze de know-how om zelf high-tech luchtafweergeschut te produceren.