Posted on 07/14/2017 6:37:11 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
Turkey is inching closer to buying Russian-made S400 missiles, despite a recent flurry of entreaties from the US for it to remain reliant on its Nato ally for air defence, according to two officials familiar with the matter told Financial Times. Turkey and Russia have agreed a price of as much as $3bn for four missile battery systems and a number of missiles, a senior Turkish official told the FT. Bloomberg earlier reported the price as $2.5bn, which included a requirement that two of the batteries be manufactured or assembled in Turkey as part of a “technology transfer” agreement. A Turkish official, who requested to remain anonymous, said the deal was a preliminary agreement. If it goes through, it will be the first measurable sign of the strain Turkey’s 65-year Nato membership is under. The US is sharing the Incirlik air base in Turkey to fight Isis, but Turkey’s relationship with its Nato allies has been strained by the continued US support for a Kurdish militia in Syria. Arms purchases are not only about arms purchases.
The current Nato-led air defence system deployed in Turkey cannot be pointed along the Aegean coast or towards Armenia. In addition, after artillery fire from Isis and Kurdish militia from inside Syria killed a number of Turkish citizens last year, Mr Erdogan complained that Nato moved too slowly to deploy a US Himars system along the Syrian border. US officials, including air force chief of staff General David L. Goldfein, met Turkish counterparts this week to lobby against the potential purchase of the S400 and to ensure a Turkish commitment to buy 100 F35A fighter jets from US manufacturers remained on track. “We are committed to, and invested in, a long-term relationship with friend and ally, the Republic of Turkey,” Mr Goldfein said on Wednesday.
According to Bloomberg, 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.
Most of the articles tend to be fair toward Kurds too.
By name, it must be based in Washington.
There are some other good articles in the right sidebar on their page.
I have issue with this statement, but it is a quote of Erdogan and is probably accurate at that level.
"after artillery fire from Isis and Kurdish militia from inside Syria killed a number of Turkish citizens last year, Mr Erdogan complained that Nato moved too slowly to deploy a US Himars system along the Syrian border. "
I know of no incident where SDF (YPG/YPJ) fired on Turkey except when Turkey shelled across the border on civilians. There are several Turkish supported Kurdish Militias in Syria, who are allied with Erdogan. And are Islamist like him.
So you (Turkey) shoot down a Russian plane under the protection of NATO. I guess Russia doesn’t hold a grudge for too long. Go fig.
“NATO ally”
With “allies” like Turkey, who needs enemies?
Russia is smart to sell critical weapons to NATO.
It mocks the “alliance” and hastens its demise.
Coincidentally, that’s in US interest too.
Europe, not so much.
Big separate advertising section for Turkey in yesterday’s NY Times.
NATO possibly will be restructured. But I doubt NATO will be ended. If it is, it will morph into some other organization.
I think a point will come when the Kemalist step in and Erdogan will be chained.
If not, the future for Turkey is in doubt.
Turkey wants or money and nothing more. They proved that they were NOT our ally during the Gulf War.
No, Putin never forgets.
He is a very good chess player. This is strategic. Putin has a long history of partnering with some really bad players. It need not be that way, but is.
I’ve concluded over the past 3 years observation of all this, that whether Erdogan is overthrown or not, Turkey will never be an example of Western freedom. And will always be plagued with the impulse of Massacres and Genocide.
That is incompatible with NATO and the EU.
So, here we are.
Turkey has never been what NATO is about. I don’t want Turkey out of NATO, but I don’t believe Turkey can change to make it a valid member of NATO.
Unfortunate.
Advertising?
They can forget Tourism.
The price of being subject to Turkish prison far outweighs any beautiful view.
I might buy their apricots. Headshake.
Very interesting to watch Turkey move more into alliance with Russia. I think this is historic and prophetic.
I don't think the US needs any bases in Turkey.
Maybe this would push Turkey closer to Russia.
I would rather the US focus on Iraq and the Middle East.
What Turkey is doing destroying Churches and Monasteries I cannot live with.
The former Soviet Union was very vicious to Christians...
Turkey is trying to be like the former Soviet Union.
Prophetic?
Yes. I understand that element. It does tell us where we are.
Yes, it is. The Biblical nations of Meshek, Tubal, Gomer, and Beth Togarmah are all part of the area that is now modern Turkey.
When I went to Turkey, two men from the U.S. embassy or consulate met us as we got off the plane and told us to watch what we say in that country. They had an American woman in prison at the time for making a negative remark on her way through customs when she was trying to leave and they were having trouble getting her out.
It’s a mistake many Americans make, thinking our freedoms prevail in the rest of the world.
I totally get it.
Until recently did not fully understand how bad it was. But since Erdogan won (stole) the Referendum, Turkey is a Dictatorship.
Anything can happen to you for no reason and there is no recourse.
Rule of Law? Non-existent.
You know, when Turkish intelligence gets caught plotting murders of Kurds who are residents inside of Germany, that things are a disaster.
This will not end well for Turkey.
I don’t think there’s any amount of pleading that is going to change the fact that Ataturk’s Westernized, forward-thinking Turkey is gone forever, and in it’s place is a Turkey increasingly hostile to the West and under the control of an Islamist strongman. We would have been well-advised to support the Turkish military in it’s coup attempt, but of course that would have been unthinkable for Obama.
Always before if the Turk military decided it was time for a coup. It happened and was successful.
This time did not and that is the best explanation about why this was a Faux Coup. Erdogan used this to make himself dictator.
All true.
But I don’t think it was a “real Coup”, I believe it was a “Faux” Coup. It would not surprise me if Brennan helped Erdogan. Birds of a feather, Islamists.
If the Kemalists had intended to have a coup, it would have succeeded.
But the Kemalist are in practice not that different from the Islamists. Some elements of them are, and they certainly demonstrated that in Istanbul recently. Peacefully, for now.
Qatar? Iran? Unknown pieces and I suspect there is more connected through the MB.
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