Turkey’s S-400 missile purchase from Russia may escalate the Syria and Eastern Mediterranean crisis

Following the Ministry of National Defence’s announcement, “Delivery has commenced today of the first set of equipment of the S-400 system to Mürted Air Base,” the Presidential Defence Industry Department said, “The first stage of the delivery of the S-400 system commenced today with the first plane to land in Ankara.”

Commenting on the arrival of the first group of materials of the S-400 missile defence system, Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar said, “Today three planes were planned. The planned planes came in full and today’s activities have been completed. This process will continue in the days to come.”

THREE PLANES LAND AT MÜRTED AIR BASE

The first Russian-owned plane brought the first equipment of the S-400 Long-Range Regional Air and Missile Defence System this morning to Mürted Air Base located in Ankara’s Kahramankazan sub-province. Following the departure of the first plane to land at Mürted Air Base in the morning hours, two more Russian-owned planes landed in succession at the same air base. The materials in the planes were unloaded and taken delivery of. The equipment forming part of the defence system was taken to hangers at the Mürted Air Base, formerly known as the Akıncı Air Base.

US WANTS NO BAD EXAMPLES

Abant İzzet Baysal University International Relations Department Faculty Member Fatih Yaşlı noted that the US took an instant decision on economic and political sanctions over Turkey’s purchase of the S-400s. Yaşlı said, “The first of the sanctions will be Turkey’s removal from the F-35 programme. And there are also twelve sanction items under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. These sanctions are passing through Congress and Trump needs to approve them. These sanctions will be implemented rapidly.”

Noting that the first-time purchase by a NATO member and traditional US ally of the air defence system from Russia was a major breaking point, Yaşlı said this would be considered as setting a bad precedent by the US. Pointing out that other countries like India were also lining up to buy the air defence system from Russia, Yaşlı noted that for this reason the US would want to stop Turkey being a bad example for other countries.

“WE MAY SEE INCREASED TENSION IN SYRIA AND THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN”

Pointing out with reference to where the S-400s would be installed that several addresses in Turkey were being discussed, Yaşlı said there was talk of employing the air defence system on the southern coasts and Syrian border in view of Turkey’s geopolitically important locations of Ankara, Istanbul and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Yaşlı said, “Were there a genuine antiimperialist, independence-orientated administration in Turkey, we could consider the purchasing of an air defence system from a country to be a strengthening in international relations. However, given the AKP’s practice of seventeen-years and under conditions of economic crisis, this process will open Turkey up further to the imperialists’ playing field.  While on the one hand wishing to remain part of the Western bloc on the premise of managing the US and Russia at the same time, on the other hand the simultaneous bringing of Russian missiles to Turkey may lead to Turkey landing in the middle of the fight for domination between the US and Russia. The parties may wish to square accounts with one another at Turkey’s expense. We may see both larger crises being experienced in the economy and an increase in tension in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean as this unfolds.”