Turkey Issues Notice on Test Firing of Missiles Next Week
Turkey Issues Notice on Test Firing of Missiles Next Week
(Bloomberg) -- Turkey issued an official notice for a four-day firing exercise around its Black Sea coast through Oct. 16.
The notice comes after people familiar with the matter said Turkey is planning to conduct a comprehensive test of its Russian-made S-400 missile-defense system in the same period. Turkey’s ministry of defense declined to comment on whether the two are related.
The “firing exercise” will take place off the Black Sea coastal province of Sinop, according to a Turkish Navy website on Thursday.
Two separate notifications to airmen by Turkish authorities said that “missile firing” will take place within the “Sinop terminal control area” starting next Tuesday. The civilian airport in Sinop will be closed to air traffic for the entire period. The notices were published on Defense Internet NOTAM Service, a web application designed by the U.S. Department of Defense to support its personnel.
The S-400 purchase from Russia has brought the threat of sanctions on Turkey from the U.S., which says the system, if activated, could be used to gather critical intelligence about NATO military equipment.
Turkey’s air force isn’t activating the batteries, but testing equipment as well as the readiness of Turkish personnel at a site in the province of Sinop, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg earlier this week.
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