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Video shot in the coastal town of Sinop shows trails of smoke rising high into the blue sky. In the last few days Turkey has issued a warning to restrict airspace and waters off the territory of the coast to allow test shelling.
The S-400’s test, if true, could spark tension between Turkey and the United States (US) which strongly opposes Ankara buying weapons from Moscow on the grounds that they have the same NATO defense system.
Turkey’s Defense Ministry (Kemhan) said it would not deny or confirm the missile test. (Also read: Erdogan Called Minks Group Delayed the Nagorno-Karabakh Talks)
Washington reacted last year by stopping Turkey from its F-35 fighter jet program and threatening to impose various sanctions. (See Infographic: Off the Coast of Indonesia Will Be Protected By Turkey’s Advanced Weapons)
“The initial assessment of the smoke’s color, intensity, angle and route in the video was similar to that of the S-400 missile,” said defense observer Turan Oguz. (See Video: Former Vice President Hamzah Haz Treated at RSPAD Gatot Soebroto)
“The angle of the smoke column shows that the target does not have to be too high,” he said.
Last year the Turkish military carried out tests of the surface-to-air defense radar. The S-400 is one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world and can detect and track incoming aircraft at medium and long distances.
Turkey signed an S-400 deal with Russia in 2017. Deliveries of the first four missile batteries, valued at $ 2.5 billion, began in July last year.
Last week, after reports of the planned test emerged, two US senators urged President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Turkey.
Turkey’s influence is getting stronger in the region by being involved in various conflicts in other countries such as Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.
(sya)
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