Turkey has always preferred to purchase defense systems from its allies, including the United States, but the inability to do so has forced it to look elsewhere, its top diplomat said Saturday.
Ankara has for years been reiterating that it had been forced to opt for Russian-made air defense systems, which it says was not a choice but a necessity, as it was unable to procure them from any NATO ally, particularly the U.S., on satisfactory terms.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stressed Turkey needed more air defense systems and would again opt to buy them from the U.S. or other allies, but did not rule out buying more from Russia.
“We prefer to purchase them from the United States and from our allies. And if we cannot purchase from our allies then I have to find another source,” the foreign minister told an interview with CNBC at the Doha Forum international conference.
Çavuşoğlu also expressed his regret over the time duration of the deal between Turkey and its European neighbors have taken.
Ankara purchasing S-400 air missile systems, of which the first delivery arrived in July 2019, has been a point of long-standing contention between Turkey and the U.S.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Turkey’s defense industry and removed the country from the F-35 fighter jet program, where it was a major manufacturer and buyer.
Washington argues that the S-400s could be used by Russia to covertly obtain classified details on the F-35 jets and that they are incompatible with NATO systems.
Turkey, however, insists that the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems and would not pose a threat to the alliance.
Asked whether after the initial purchase Turkey might buy more such systems from Russia, Çavuşoğlu refused to rule out the option and stressed the S-400s were a “done deal.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday also stressed Turkey’s position on its acquisition of the missile defense systems is unchanged and the matter is a “done deal.”
“Our region is not a safe haven ... so in this case, we are still working on other alternatives,” Çavuşoğlu said. “My country is a sovereign country and I have to protect my country and I have to purchase my needs from any possible country,” he added.
Çavuşoğlu also recalled President Erdoğan’s meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi last week on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels.
The main issue discussed during the meetings was Eurosam SAMP/T missile defense systems and their joint production, the minister said.
Erdoğan on Friday said he discussed the possibility of buying SAMP/Ts from the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium with Macron and Draghi.
The Italian premier also said that Italy, Turkey and France will revive a cooperation group between the three countries.
Eurosam “is a joint venture of France and Italy. And we signed an agreement, a letter of intention with Eurosam around eight years ago, (but) nothing happened until today,” said Çavuşoğlu.
“Now those two countries are most curious to have joint production in Turkey to export SAMP/T, the air defense system, to my country,” he explained.
The three-country missile program aims to defend against threats from stealth aircraft, drones and missiles. The joint development activity was also expected to support Turkey’s indigenous air and missile development program in addition to opening up prospects for exports and longer-term cooperation of Turkey, Italy and France.
The Eurosam consortium is made up of European missile maker MBDA, itself a joint venture between Airbus, Italy’s Leonardo, Britain’s BAE Systems, French defense contractor Thales, whose main shareholders are the French state, and fighter jet maker Dassault Aviation.
Çavuşoğlu also stressed the ground that Turkey has covered when it comes to producing its own defense products.
He said Turkey currently produces more than 70% of its defense needs. Explaining that they are also working on an air defense system, Çavuşoğlu said that they are also trying to find alternatives to meet Turkey’s air defense system needs.
On reports and ideas suggesting Turkey send its S-400 missile defense systems to Ukraine to help it fight the invading Russian forces, Çavuşoğlu said this “is out of the question.”
Reports over the recent week floated that the U.S. informally raised with Turkey the unlikely possibility of transferring the S-400s to Ukraine as it tries to fend off the Russian invasion that began on Feb. 24. Ankara has called such ideas “quite unrealistic.”
Erdoğan also dismissed such reports, saying “all they do is cause commotion” in reference to Washington.
Also addressing the claims, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun stressed informal proposals would not repair relations, urging the West and the U.S. to deliver F-35 fighter jets and Patriot batteries to Ankara “without preconditions.”
Turkey, which has cultivated close ties with both Russia and Ukraine, is trying to balance those relations and has positioned itself as a neutral party trying to mediate.
Ankara has criticized Russia’s military actions in Ukraine as “unacceptable” but also said it would not give up on either side.
Asked about Russian oligarchs, who have been hit with severe Western sanctions since the war began, Çavuşoğlu said they are welcome in Turkey but must abide by international law in order to do any business.
“If Russian oligarchs ... or any Russian citizens want to visit Turkey of course they can,” the minister said.
“If you mean whether these oligarchs can do any business in Turkey, then of course if it is legal and not against international law, I will consider it,” he said, adding, “If it is against international law then that is another story.”
Two superyachts linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich have docked in Turkish resorts.
Western governments have targeted Abramovich and several other Russian oligarchs with sanctions as they seek to isolate President Vladimir Putin and his allies.
Pointing out that Turkey’s natural gas dependence on Russia has fallen from 51% four years ago to less than 40% now, Çavuşoğlu said the country has been diversifying its energy sources.
“We are diversifying and finding new energy sources, and we are also investing a lot in renewables,” he noted.
The war carries the potential to harm Turkey's economy, given its deep energy, defense and trade relations, while both markets are its crucial tourist sources.
The conflict has raised the prospect of even higher inflation in Turkey, an importer of oil, natural gas and grains, the prices of which have surged worldwide.
Russia supplied some 46% of Turkey’s gas last year and Ankara is looking to strike shorter-duration gas deals with Moscow to relieve import costs.
