The US Tries to Pressure Türkiye into Putting Its Russian Missile Systems Under American Supervision | naked capitalism
▻https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2024/10/the-us-is-tries-to-pressure-turkiye-into-putting-its-russian-missil
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One of the biggest sticking points in the long-running feud between Washington and the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğanin in Türkiye is the latter’s purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems back in 2017. Washington is now proposing that Türkiye move the Russian systems to the US-controlled sector of Incirlik Air Base, in south-central Türkiye.
Türkiye had been asking Washington for Patriot missile systems with technology transfer for years prior to the S-400 purchase, and the US kicked Türkiye out of the F-35 program and for the first time slapped sanctions on a NATO member.
The S-400 is widely considered superior to the Patriot, and it would no doubt be beneficial for the US to get its hands on it — especially as the systems are reportedly being deployed in Iran to guard against potential attacks from Israel and the West.
While Türkiye tested out the S-400 system, it still isn’t operational. In December, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler told reporters it would only be utilized if and when needed — an odd use for the weaponry that cost Ankara $2.5 billion.
The news of the S-400 talks between the US and Türkiye first appeared in the Greek newspaper of record, Kathimerini, and its chief source was Michael Rubin. If you’re not familiar with Rubin, he was once the “pudgy-faced boy wonder” of neocon villains running the Iraq debacle notorious for his thin skin and stupidity. While he’s grown older, he’s none the wiser and can most recently be found daydreaming about Israel assassinating Erdoğan and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.