Shipment of Russian S-400 Defense System Arrives in Turkey

Turkey has received its first shipment of a controversial Russian air defence system, setting the stage for a showdown with Washington that could lead to US retaliation. 

The Turkish defence ministry said in a statement on Friday that the “first group of equipment” for the S-400 Triumf had arrived at Murted air base in Ankara, the Turkish capital. 

The Kremlin confirmed that the shipments had begun and were being carried out on schedule, but declined to say when the systems would be fully installed.

“I will just say that everything is being done on time, consistent with the agreements and the contracts. The sides are fulfilling all their obligations,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for president Vladimir Putin, told reporters, citing information from the country’s military-industrial agency.

The Pentagon is now almost certain to push Turkey out of Nato’s next-generation fighter jet programme. Ankara also faces the threat of US congressional sanctions aimed at hampering the Russian defence industry that could inflict severe pain on the fragile Turkish economy.

If the dispute escalates, some western analysts fear it could inflict long-term damage on Ankara’s relationship with the US, draw Turkey closer to Moscow and imperil the country’s role within Nato.

The prospect of sanctions has been a source of anxiety for foreign investors. The lira edged lower after news of the delivery, with the dollar recently up as much as 0.45 per cent against the Turkish currency. 

Discussions about Turkey’s plan to buy the advanced surface-to-air missile system first became public in the autumn of 2016, just months after Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, survived a violent attempted coup that left 250 people dead.

Mr Erdogan grew increasingly close to the Russian president Vladimir Putin in the aftermath of the failed putsch. 

US officials repeatedly warned Mr Erdogan that Turkey, a Nato member since 1952, would be hit by sanctions if it went ahead with purchasing the S-400.

The Pentagon argued that the equipment could threaten the security of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 next-generation stealth fighter jet programme by collecting sensitive data on the aircraft. Mr Erdogan rejected those arguments and pushed on with the $2.5bn deal.

The Pentagon is now expected to sideline Turkey from the F-35 programme, halting delivery of Ankara’s order of 100 aircraft and beginning the process of cutting Turkish defence manufacturers out of their $12bn role in the supply chain.

Patrick Shanahan, the former acting US defence secretary, set a July 31 ultimatum for Turkey to abandon the purchase or have its role in the programme suspended. 

Analysts say that could also hamper the future capabilities of Turkish armed forces and their co-operation with Nato allies.

At the same time, Turkey also faces the threat of separate sanctions that could inflict pain on the country’s economy at a highly fragile time.