Turkey is ready, if necessary, to use the S-400 (Triumph) anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) purchased from Russia. This was stated the day before, on November 16, by the country’s Defense Minister Yashar Guler, Anadolu Agency reported.
“We are working around the clock for the security of our country. We cannot buy S-400s and push them into a corner. When we need it, we will press the button and everyone who is curious will see what will happen,” the head of the military department said during a speech in the Turkish parliament.
Guler also said that Turkey plans to purchase a total of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighters.
“We want to buy Eurofighter. This is a very efficient aircraft. These aircraft are connected with the UK, Germany and Spain,” the minister noted.
According to him, London and Madrid reacted positively to Ankara’s intention, and work is currently underway to “convince Germany.”
He added that the American-made F-16 and F-4 aircraft in service with the Turkish Air Force are sufficient to carry out the necessary tasks.
“But, of course, we are looking further. To do this, we applied for the (fifth-generation fighter) F-35, but there were some problems with the F-35. We are also working on alternatives,” Guler emphasized.
In October 2021, Ankara approached Washington with a request to sell 40 F-16 multi-role fighters manufactured by Lockheed Martin and modernize almost 80 combat vehicles of this class in service with the Turkish army.
Turkey is considering the possibility of purchasing Russian Su-57 multirole fighters if the US Congress refuses to sell it F-16 aircraft, the Milliyet newspaper indicated on April 11, 2022. According to the Turkish publication, Ankara is simultaneously trying to acquire air attack platforms from France and Great Britain.
Let us recall that after Turkey acquired Russian Triumphs in 2019, the United States began to persistently dissuade Ankara from deploying the S-400 on Turkish territory. In December 2020, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey’s Defense Industry Authority and then completely excluded the NATO ally from the F-35 fighter jet program. In total, the Turkish side expressed a desire to purchase 100 of these combat vehicles. Before its exclusion from the program, Turkey produced parts and components for the F-35. The United States and its European NATO allies have previously expressed concerns that radars on the S-400 systems could detect and track the F-35, making them less stealthy to Russian systems in the future.
2023-11-17 07:33:00
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