Turkey has urgent need for air defense system, FM Çavuşoğlu says

[BHarwana]

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu speaking at a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart Angelino Alfano (not pictured), Rome, Italy, Nov. 23, 2017. (AA Photo)

Turkey has an urgent need for an air defense system, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Thursday.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart Angelino Alfano in Rome, Çavuşoğlu stressed that Turkey had to be able to protect its airspace, referring to the country's deal to purchase S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

"Recently, some of our NATO allies are putting up serious resistance to giving Turkey defense systems, including simple weapons, that we need. [We] need to build an air defense system. But I cannot buy it from my allies. Then I have to get it from somewhere else I have an urgent need," Çavuşoğlu said.

In wake of a recent incident, which targeted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a NATO drill, the foreign minister emphasized that Turkey was not moving away from NATO.

"Turkey is not shifting anywhere, it stands where it is. Turkey has no problem with the EU. Every country pursues multidirectional foreign policies," Çavuşoğlu said, adding that Turkey also had such a right to do so.

Çavuşoğlu reiterated Turkey's commitment to continue to work with NATO, saying: "Turkey is one of the strongest NATO missions. Like the last crisis, the secretary general of NATO has emphasized the importance of Turkey for NATO."

Turkey's top diplomat also rejected criticism over the country's close ties with Russia.

"The foreign ministers of NATO member states requested improvement in relations with Russia. As soon as we improved our relations, the same foreign ministers started criticizing us, saying: 'Why are you so close with Russia?'" Çavuşoğlu said.

Turkey's need for an air missile defense system was exposed with the start of the civil war in Syria. The country has a sizeable ballistic missile stockpile able to strike a large portion of Turkey's territory.

Turkish officials were concerned that the missiles could be used by the Assad regime in case of a unilateral military conflict or an international military intervention, while the possibility of the missiles falling into the hands of a terrorist group posed a greater danger.

The country had to rely on Patriot batteries provided by its NATO allies Germany, the Netherlands and Spain during the conflict. They were withdrawn in 2015.

Turkey agreed to buy S-400's — Russia's most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system — in a more than $2 billion deal in September. The contract includes the purchase of two S-400 missile defense systems, one of which will be optional, with the first system's delivery planned for 2019, Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said Wednesday.

As a NATO-member country, Turkey's decision to buy Russian S-400 systems has raised concerns among other NATO member countries, but NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ended speculations on Sep. 19 when he said member states have the sovereign right to make decisions regarding their military purchases.

Speaking to Defense News, Heidi Grant, the deputy undersecretary of the U.S. air force, international affairs, said the U.S might consider additional action over Turkey's ability to purchase and operate F-35 jets due to the S-400 purchase.

"It's a significant concern, not only to the United States, because we need to protect this high-end technology, fifth-generation technology" but for "all of our partners and allies that have already purchased the F-35," she said last week.

Recently, a crisis broke out between Turkey and NATO after it was discovered that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, were portrayed as enemies in a NATO drill in Norway. A Norwegian was removed from the exercise following the incident, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen issued an apology for the chart listing President Erdoğan and Atatürk as "enemies" during the drill.

Also commenting on the recent strained ties between Ankara and Brussels, Çavuşoğlu said Turkey is willing to ease the tension. "The tension with the EU is temporary. We are making every effort to reduce the strain," he said, adding that his recent meeting with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel is an example of these efforts.

Çavuşoğlu underscored that other EU member states should also take similar steps to de-escalate the situation between the two sides.

 

[Pax Ottomana]

I think Turkey has said everything that needs to be said about this issue. We're right! Simple as that. As a sovereign country Turkey can do business with whomever we want. Making announcements about this on a daily basis isn't necessary.

 

[Saithan]

it actually is, and repeating it like a parrot is what is necessary because the west will just twist it if you miss a single beat. if you want our truth out there, then you need to say it in more than just turkish. You need to reach out to all english speakers.

 

[BHarwana]

You know when i came across this piece of news I laughed on the comments of the foreign minister he is say okay you don't want us to buy S-400 good sell us anti air. Turkey has placed NATO under a good trap. Actually he is 100% correct Turkey needs to def it's Air space west was not selling just because Israelis can easily maneuver over Turkish air space S-400 will not allow any violation by any one.

 

[Pax Ottomana]

it actually is, and repeating it like a parrot is what is necessary because the west will just twist it if you miss a single beat. if you want our truth out there, then you need to say it in more than just turkish. You need to reach out to all english speakers.

Fair enough.