Turkey Denies Moving Russian S-400 Missiles to Base Used by U.S.
Turkey Denies Moving Russian S-400 Missiles to Base Used by U.S.
(Bloomberg) --
Turkey denied claims that it moved its Russian missiles to a NATO base that serves as a depot for U.S. nuclear weapons, days after the Biden administration renewed its demand for Ankara to get rid of the air defense system.
“The claims on social media that the S-400s were taken to Incirlik are not true,” a statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry said late Wednesday, referring to the Turkish-controlled base.
The U.S. has a deal with Turkey allowing it to use the base subject to mission-specific permissions from parliament. Incirlik also hosts U.S. tactical nuclear bombs and serves as a transfer hub for American deployments in the region.
Turkey has refused to jettison the Russian missiles as demanded by the U.S., which fears they could be used to gather intelligence on the advanced F-35 warplane’s stealth capabilities. Turkey was barred from working on and receiving the F-35 after it decided to purchase the Russian air defense system. Ankara has asked Washington to sell it F-16 jets to compensate.
The F-16 deal is potentially worth $6 billion, but U.S. approval will be difficult to win given opposition in Congress. If denied the F-16s, Turkey has not ruled out the possibility of seeking alternatives, including from Russia.
Biden made clear to Erdogan that Turkey would have to go through the necessary process to purchase the F-16 jets, said a senior U.S. official who requested anonymity to discuss the meeting between the leaders at the Group of 20 summit in Rome on Sunday. Turkey’s possession of the S-400 missile system continues to be a concern, the official said.
Erdogan said he urged the U.S. leader to persuade Congress to permit the sale. The two also discussed a dispute over $1.4 billion that Turkey paid for F-35 warplanes it was subsequently barred from receiving, the Turkish leader said.
A Pentagon delegation visited Ankara on Oct. 27, a day before the meeting between Biden and Erdogan, and discussed issues resulting from Turkey’s removal from the F-35 program, which was finalized on Sept. 23. A Pentagon statement called the discussions productive, adding that a follow-up meeting would take place in Washington in the coming months.
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