This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Russia has sent new components of its S-400 air-defense system to a military air base near the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Video of #Russia S-400 parts loaded at a #Turkey airbase today.
The leak of videos is by itself a message to US & NATO from Ankara & Moscow on new policy/security parameters: pic.twitter.com/qfAxD8CDl4— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) July 12, 2019
Turkey’s Defense Ministry tweeted on July 14 about the landing of a fifth and sixth Russian cargo plane at Murted air base, saying two more planes were expected within hours.
Turkey received the first three shipments of S-400 components on July 12 and a fourth shipment on July 13, defying threats of sanctions from the United States.
Turkish defense minister Hulusi Akar and acting U.S. counterpart mark Esper late on Friday discussed Turkey’s acquisition of long-range missile defense systems following the arrival of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system components in Ankara. pic.twitter.com/UBMphziOGj
— ANews (@anewscomtr) July 13, 2019
Washington and its allies consider the missile system to be incompatible with NATO systems and a threat to the F-35 fighter jets.
Washington has urged Turkey to purchase the U.S.-made Patriot missile system instead.
The United States has given Turkey a deadline of July 31 to reverse or face the loss of subcontracting work on the U.S.-led F-35 project.
But Washington has already started the process of removing Turkey from the F-35 program, halting training of Turkish pilots in the United States on the aircraft.
