The Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported that Turkey was considering placing the S-400 missile systems at the Incirlik airbase. Turkey purchased it from Russia during a period of strained relations between Turkey and the United Statesas a way to demonstrate to its counterpart that it has alternatives.
According to the newspaper, the Americans proposed, “Place them at Incirlik, and we’ll lift the block on the purchase of F-35 jets.”
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense denied this report.
The news and the denial surfaced at a time when Turkey’s potential membership in BRICS was being discussed.
Around the same period, I came across another news story in the international media. It was about the new Labour Party government in the UK, which had inherited a treasury with a £22 billion deficit, and as a result, was considering canceling the order for the F-35 jets placed by the previous government.
The UK had agreed to purchase a total of 138 F-35s, ordered 48, and received 34 so far.
This means that Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, has 14 F-35s ready for delivery at any moment.
During the tension between the two countries, Turkey faced a U.S. embargo on F-35 jets, despite having paid for them in advance, produced some parts domestically, and trained pilots to operate them.
In the end, we were left to settle for F-16 jets, whose production has ended and whose technology cannot compare to the F-35. Even for those, the U.S. Congress has been reluctant to grant permission.
Once a suitable formula is found for the S-400 systems purchased from Russia, the U.S. may begin negotiations for the F-35s that the British decided not to take.
Hmm…
Let’s take a look at this list: The UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Switzerland, Czechia, Singapore, Israel, and Greece…
These are the countries to which the U.S. has sold F-35s.
Israel has used F-35s in the Gaza and Lebanon wars; they currently have 36 in operation and will receive another 25 by 2028.
As for Greece… Our neighbor has signed an agreement for 40 F-35s, with the number possibly increasing by 20 more.
I’ve extended this information due to my unease: In recent years, special importance has been placed on the defense industry in our country, yet we are deprived of jets with the world’s most advanced technology…
Even if the path for F-16s clears, we will still fall short in terms of defense capability.
There are signs that the issue is being fully considered in Ankara.
One of the most significant signs is Turkey’s intention to join the BRICS organization, which is dominated by Russia and China, despite TUrkey being a NATO member and aspiring to join the European Union (EU).
As a European country and a NATO member, Turkey is reacting to being deprived of advanced technology jets that other countries, and even non-NATO members like Israel, are freely allowed to purchase.
I hope this move is just a reaction, and I hope that the counterparts correctly evaluate Turkey’s reaction.
Purchasing the S-400 from Russia was also a result of a reaction. The developments that followed must have addressed Turkey’s concerns since, despite paying a high sum, the S-400 system has not been used.
The latest expression of Turkey’s discomfort was made by the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Numan Kurtulmuş, during his speech in front of Russian senators in the Russian Parliament, the Duma, in Moscow.
Referring to BRICS as “a new peace perspective” and mentioning the creation of a “new order” with BRICS, Kurtulmuş implied that Turkey’s membership would be finalized at the meeting in Kazan next month.
Let’s read:
“Turkey’s membership in BRICS is not an alternative or a counter-initiative to its current memberships, but rather a new argument, a new instrument that will strengthen Turkey’s power in foreign policy.”
In this case, we will remain in NATO, our EU membership aspirations will continue, and we will also take part in BRICS, thinking that it will “increase our power in foreign policy.”
Establishing simultaneous alliance relationships with countries like China and Russia, while also being aligned with the U.S. and EU member states, is harder than making a camel pass through the eye of a needle.
Impossible.
Can the government make this impossibility possible?
I don’t think so.
If they do, I’ll applaud them.
ΩΩΩΩ
[The translation of the article is by ChatGPT with some minor modifications.]
