NATO’s Reaction to the Possible Deal
The US recently signaled that Turkey buying the S-400 from Russia would become a major concern.
"Turkey has not completed a deal with Russia yet. If they would, it would be concerning," Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said Sunday in an interview with the NBC TV station.
Responding to the remark, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the concerns of Washington politicians are unreasonable.
"Why should this be a concern? Each country should take certain measures to ensure its security. How many times have we talked with America, but it did not work out, so like it or not, we began to make plans about the S-400," Erdogan told a press conference in Ankara.
"It is well known that the US and some other [Turkey’s] allies in NATO are concerned over the possible S-400 deal between Russia and Turkey. NATO officials express concern over the possibility to integrate the Russian-made system with alliance’s military standards," former Turkish Ambassador to the US Faruk Loğoğlu told Sputnik Turkey.
Earlier, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said that the possible deal between Russia and Turkey raises questions about the technical and operational compatibility of the S-400 with NATO’s standards and Ankara would have to explain for itself the choice of the Russian-made weapon.
Turkey Will Not Give In to US Pressure
According to Loğoğlu, Washington is "pressuring" Ankara over the possible S-400 deal with Russia.
"In order to prevent this deal, Western countries are using pressure. However, they are unlikely to change Turkey’s decisions to buy the Russian-made missile defense systems. NATO’s actions will not influence the results of the Russia-Turkey negotiations," he suggested.
Loğoğlu continued, "I’m not saying Turkey will definitely purchase the S-400. As you know, the contract has not been signed yet. But Turkey will not give up on its decision due to Washington’s anger and fears."
'The Best Choice'
Military analyst Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of National Defense, a Russian military affairs magazine, pointed out that Turkey makes an absolutely sovereign decision in choosing the system that will maintain its national security.
However, according to the analyst, Turkey wants to "make the best choice" in the global arms market.
Moreover, according to Korotchenko, Ankara’s choice of the S-400 system means a "strategic defeat" of American arms manufacturers.
"The very fact that Turkey, a NATO member state, prefers the Russian system for its air and missile defense means that Russia surpasses the US in terms of its technologies and developments in this sphere," Korotchenko told Sputnik.
The Russia-Turkey talks on the delivery of S-400 systems have taken place since 2016.
The S-400 Triumph is a next-generation mobile surface-to-air missile system that can carry three different types of missiles capable of destroying aerial targets at a short-to-extremely-long range. It is designed to track and destroy various types of aerial targets, from reconnaissance aircraft to ballistic missiles.
The system integrates a multifunctional radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and a command and control center.
