Turkey: Erdogan changes course – “We don’t need the S-400”

Earlier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the agreement on the S-400 has been completed.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is under pressure, as the Turkish president has changed course on the S-400 purchase. On the one hand, the Turkish president has to face the American pressure and on the other hand he has to keep his promise to get modern fighters.

“We no longer need them,” Ankara now declares in its message about the Russian anti-aircraft system, as reported by SKAI’s correspondent in Istanbul, Manolis Kostidis.

And in a report by the 24TV TV network, it was emphasized that: “The General Director of the Military Electronic Systems Industry, Haluk Yurgen, stated in his interview with Milliyet newspaper that Turkey, with its steps taken in the field of defense systems technology, no longer needs the S-300 and S missiles. -400. In fact, that is the case.”

Change Erdogan’s line

The Turkish president stated in 2019 that the S-400 deal was completed, but that Turkey was left out of the F-35 and is seeking the F-16.

However, as Manolis Kostidis points out, it seems that Ankara is closing its doors based on the wishes of the United States, both with regard to the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO and the de-escalation of tensions with Athens, as well as with the United States. Retreat of Russian anti-aircraft systems looms on the horizon.

This will “untie” the hands of the Joe Biden administration in Congress from the American militants.

On the issue of the S-400, an agreement has been reached. We are now in a phase of surrender, and in a country like Turkey, it is not appropriate to reject a regime that is in the process of surrender. Erdogan announced on January 29, 2019 that this case is closed.” Despite the apparent determination of the Turkish president on the matter at the time, things seem to have changed.