Turkey Signs Contract to Purchase S-400 Missile System from Russia

Less than six months after negotiations began, Turkey and Russia announced on Tuesday, September 12, that the contract for the purchase of the S-400 missile defense system has been signed, and Ankara has also made the advance payment for this deal. This news has been confirmed by a military advisor to Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. According to reports from Turkish newspapers cited by AFP, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, stated his determination and that of his Russian counterpart, Mr. Putin, to implement this contract. The news agency described the purchase of this surface-to-air missile system as 'the most significant deal Ankara has made with a non-NATO country.' AFP noted that analysts have indicated this deal will raise concerns in the West, as the U.S. Department of Defense had previously expressed its dissatisfaction regarding it. In this context, the Turkish President told reporters that 'no one has the right' to comment on Turkey's independent decisions regarding its defense industries. The news of the negotiation for the purchase of this missile system from Russia was first published in April of this year, and subsequently, in June, the two countries announced that they were close to signing the contract. This news comes at a time when relations between Russia and NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, are strained over the annexation of Crimea and unrest in Ukraine. On the other hand, Turkey, which is a NATO member, has had issues with some members of the alliance, including Germany, especially since the military coup last summer in Turkey. Relations between Turkey and Germany have soured daily following the coup and the onset of a wave of arrests in Turkey, culminating in Germany officially announcing on Monday, September 11, that it has suspended 'the majority' of arms exports to Turkey. Reuters reported that Sigmar Gabriel, the German Foreign Minister, cited 'the poor human rights situation' in Turkey as the reason for Berlin's decision. This news emerged after a German Foreign Ministry official reported the arrest of 'another German couple' in Turkey for political reasons. Since the failed coup last summer, which left nearly 250 dead, thousands have been arrested and imprisoned in Turkey, thousands more have lost their jobs, and hundreds are awaiting trial. The ongoing arrests and dismissals in Turkey, ordered by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, particularly targeting journalists and media personnel, have raised serious concerns among media rights organizations and some of Turkey's Western allies, including Germany.