Turkey needs to "get rid of" the Russian S-400 missile defense system it purchased, a senior State Department official said on Thursday, to overcome a
Turkey needs to “get rid of” the Russian S-400 missile defense system it purchased, a senior State Department official said on Thursday, to overcome a standoff with Washington, which says the procurement poses a threat to NATO defense capabilities.
“There is room for Turkey to come back to the table. They know that to make this work they need to either destroy or return or somehow get rid of the S-400,” the official told reporters at a briefing.
Ankara and Washington have been at loggerheads over Turkey’s purchase of the S-400s, which Washington says are not compatible with NATO defenses and pose a threat to its F-35 stealth fighter jets.
Turkey to activate S-400 missile defense systems
Turkey will activate as planned S-400 missile defense systems acquired from Russia, once the relevant military personnel complete their training, the Turkish national defense minister said Thursday. Training efforts were ongoing on the operation of the missile defense hardware, Hulusi Akar told lawmakers in the Turkish parliament’s planning and budget committee.”After this process is completed, we will conduct our planned activities [on S-400s].”Turkey’s acquisition of the advanced Russian S-400 air-defense system prompted Washington to remove Turkey from the F-35 fifth-generation joint strike fighter program in July.The U.S. maintains that the system could be used by Russia to covertly obtain classified details on the jet and is incompatible with NATO systems.Turkey, however, says that the S-400 would neither be integrated into NATO systems, nor pose a threat to the alliance.Answering questions on Turkish-backed Syrian forces fighting YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, Akar said the Syrian National Army (SNA) was not part of “any group” but of people loyal to and working for their country.””As a result of our operations, the delusion of forming a terror corridor, terror state [in northern Syria] was put to an end,” he noted.Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria, east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.Ankara reached two separate deals with Washington and Moscow last month, according to which it agreed to pause its operation to allow YPG/PKK terrorists to withdraw from the planned safe zone, where Turkey wants to repatriate millions of Syrian refugees it is currently hosting.
Turkey to open Syrian border gate ‘as soon as possible’
Turkey’s efforts to open a border gate in Syria “as soon as possible” continue, a local official in southeast Turkey said Thursday. Mehmet Yalcinkaya, mayor of the Turkish border district of Akcakale, told journalists that a gate opening to his district from Tal Abyad in northern Syria would facilitate close ties between two nations.”This gate, which we plan to open for trade as soon as possible, I believe will form a bridge of hearts between Syria and Turkey,” Yalcinkaya said, adding that the efforts had been initiated upon Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s instruction.Yalcinkaya inspected efforts at the border in Tal Abyad, which was cleared of YPG/PKK terror group during Turkey’s anti-terror Operation Peace Spring.Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria, east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.Ankara reached two separate deals with Washington and Moscow last month, according to which it agreed to pause its operation to allow YPG/PKK terrorists to withdraw from the planned safe zone, where Turkey wants to repatriate millions of Syrian refugees it is currently hosting.Yalcinkaya underlined that terrorists had heavily damaged the gate.”Our friends and vehicles are all working to open the gate.”We are doing our best to normalize life in Syria as soon as possible,” Yalcinkaya added.* Writing by Sena Guler
In response, the United States suspended Turkey from the F-35 program and warned of possible U.S. sanctions over the deal, although it has yet to impose them.
Last week, Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump met at the White House to discuss mounting differences ranging from the S-400s to Syria policy. During the talks, Trump urged Erdogan to drop the S-400 systems in lieu of U.S. Patriot systems.