Turkey Will Use S-400 System if Needed

Turkey will not hesitate to use its Russia-made S-400 air defense system to shoot down hostile targets, defense minister said Tuesday.

Speaking to the Turkish parliament's planning and budget committee in the capital Ankara, Hulusi Akar said "the S-400 is in place and ready for use.”

“If any threats arise, we will decide where and how to use it,” he added.

Turkey’s efforts to buy U.S.-made air defense systems proved futile and it purchased S-400s for $2.5 billion in 2017. The U.S. then kicked Ankara out of the $399 billion F-35 project and imposed sanctions under Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for buying Russian equipment. It was denied F-35 jets, although it had committed to buy 100 of them.

Ankara then sent a formal request to acquire 40 new F-16 Block 70 jets and 80 modernization kits in September 2021. The contract is expected to touch $6 billion. Turkey hopes to eventually develop its own jets; but in the meantime, is overdue to retire its F-4 jets and wants to upgrade its F-16 fleet as a stopgap measure.

Akar added that Ankara is making efforts to buy F-16 jets, “but in case the deal falls through, Turkey has alternatives.”