Ulas Atesci
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s surprise visit to Moscow on August 27 marked growing bilateral military cooperation between Turkey, a NATO member state, and Russia. In Moscow, he advanced plans to buy Russian anti-aircraft missiles and, possibly, fighter jets, fueling tensions with Turkey’s imperialist allies in Washington and Europe.
Despite Erdogan’s trip, Turkish-Russian relations remain extremely tense. This unscheduled meeting between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin came amid the confrontation in Syria between Turkish army forces and Russian-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad government’s forces in Idlib. Washington and Ankara are developing plans to violate Syria’s territorial integrity and invade northeastern Syria to establish a “safe zone” there.
On August 19, after the Assad regime accused the Turkish government of trying to save Al Qaeda-linked forces in Idlib province now under attack by Damascus and Moscow for weeks, a Turkish army military convoy came under Syrian air attack, allegedly for assisting the Islamists. While Syrian army forces recaptured the town of Khan Sheikoun from Al Qaeda-linked forces, Turkey’s Morek military base in southern Idlib was surrounded by forces loyal to Damascus. There are reportedly about 200 Turkish soldiers in the base.
In Moscow, however, Erdogan and Putin sought to downplay these differences. About the Idlib flashpoint, Putin said: “Russia and Turkey cooperate closely in the Astana format along with Iran. … The president of Turkey and I mapped out additional joint measures for neutralizing terrorist hotbeds in Idlib and normalizing the situation both in this zone and in the rest of Syria.”
Erdogan’s reply showed that differences between the two countries persist: “We can bring about our responsibilities concerning the Sochi agreement only if the regime halts its attacks. … The regime’s provocations have reached the level of putting the lives of our soldiers in the region at risk.” However, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported on Erdogan’s visit to Moscow that “a military source announced acceptance of a ceasefire in the de-escalation zone of Idlib as of Saturday morning.”
Nonetheless, Washington clearly views Ankara’s deepening relations with Moscow with alarm. Before Erdogan’s visit to Moscow, Washington issued an official statement withdrawing its offer to sell Turkey Patriot missile defence systems, after Turkey purchased Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missiles. “We have consistently told Turkey that our latest offer of PATRIOT would be withdrawn if it took delivery of the S-400 system. Our PATRIOT offer has expired,” a US State Department official told CNN on August 22.
On June 6, acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan wrote a letter to his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, threatening to break off military cooperation with Turkey, notably over the F-35 fighter program, and to subject Turkey to a wide range of sanctions.
After the shipment of the first batch of Russian-made S-400 air defence systems to Turkey in July, under a contract signed in December 2017, Washington suspended Turkish participation in the F-35 program. On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper indicated that the only way Turkey was getting F-35s is if it returns its S-400 missile defence system to Russia.
Esper’s statement was a response to Erdogan’s comments on F-35 fighter jets as well as on Russian made planes. On the way back to Ankara from Moscow, asked if Turkey was interested in buying Russian Su-35 or Su-57 jets, Erdogan replied, “Why not? We didn’t come here for nothing.”
Erdogan and Putin attended the inauguration of the MAKS-2019 International Aviation and Space Salon near Moscow. The same day Erdogan and Putin met, a second batch of S-400 air defence systems had been delivered to Murted Airbase in Ankara. Significantly, Erdogan and Putin focused on consolidating bilateral military cooperation.
In this regard, Russian President Putin told Erdogan: “We have shown you various products, both military and civilian. They not only demonstrate Russia’s aerospace capability but also offer a variety of cooperation opportunities. We know about Turkey’s high-tech development plans,” he said. He added, “Of course, we could join forces in the areas where our capabilities are especially strong and sought after.”
Erdogan replied: “Today we have taken a closer look at Russia’s defence industry. I would like to express satisfaction at the fact that today we also saw Russian-made engines for passenger airliners, combat aircraft, helicopters and other aviation equipment. We also watched demonstration flights of combat aircraft, including the Su-34, Su-35 and Su-57. We have also been updated on Russia’s space activities and the measures you are taking to boost your space industry.”
No comments:
Post a Comment