Islam Times - Russia's new contract to supply air defense system to Turkey

Islam Times - A new contract with Ankara to supply Turkey with further air defense missiles is likely to go ahead, the Russian Interfax news agency reported on Saturday quoting Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov.

The Russian official did not give any details of the new arms sales deal, but it could be the delivery of further S-400s.

Turkey finalized a deal with Russia to be supplied with the S-400 long-range interceptors in late 2017. The first batch arrived in Turkey in June this year.

The second batch delivery was completed in August.

The purchase was a sign Turkey was embracing Russia. Ankara’s Western allies strongly opposed the deal and the US froze the delivery of F-35 fighters to Turkey.

The US in March threatened Turkey with “grave consequences" if it proceeds with the purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system

"If Turkey takes the S-400s there will be grave consequences,” the Pentagon said, shortly after Turkish Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar said Russia will deliver the first S-400 batteries in October.

Erdogan complained that a US failure to deliver Patriot air defense pushed him to buy the Russian systems, though in December 2018, US State Department approved a possible sale of the Patriot missile system to Turkey, a NATO ally, for an estimated total of $3.5 billion.

But this did not satisfy Erdogan who seemed to seek a plan to make a balance in relations between Russia and the US to get what he wants in his regional game, mainly in Syria.

This will mean that further arms could be bought from Russia, including fighter jets. In later August, Erdogan visited a Russian air show where Moscow showed off its warplanes to the president. In the meantime, media reports said the Turkish leader mulls buying SU-57 stealth fighters from Russia.