Turkish Defense Minister Says Deal With US On Storage Of Russian S-400 Missiles Will Remain Inactive

Levent Kenez/Stockholm

Turkish Defense Minister Yaar Gler, speaking during a parliamentary session on his ministry's budget on November 26, 2024, informed lawmakers that the Americans had reconsidered their position on the sale of F fighter jets -35 to Turkey. This change, he claimed, came after seeing that Turkey was capable of producing its own fifth-generation fighter jet, the KAAN. Gler said the United States was now willing to sell F-35s to Turkey.

The minister also addressed the issue of Turkey's purchase of S-400 missile systems from Russia, saying that Turkey and the United States had reached a consensus on the issue and it was no longer a problem .

Turkish Defense Minister Gler provided detailed updates on Turkey's defense acquisition and modernization projects during the parliamentary session. Gler announced that Turkey had decided to abandon its plan to modernize 79 F-16 fighter jets as initially planned. Instead, the modernization process will now be managed entirely by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSA), which has proven its ability to carry out such upgrades domestically. It also confirmed plans to purchase 40 new F-16 aircraft and specialized munitions, at a total cost estimated at between $6.5 billion and $7 billion.

On the Eurofighter Typhoon jets, Gler explained that Turkey was seeking to diversify its defense suppliers, moving away from its sole reliance on the United States. The Eurofighter consortium, made up of the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and France, appears to be a promising option. While the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain approved the deal, Germany was initially hesitant due to the complexities involved in the coalition. However, Gler noted that Germany had now provided the necessary permissions and negotiations were ongoing.

Regarding the F-35 program, Gler said U.S. officials have demonstrated a change in their approach to selling F-35s to Turkey, influenced by Turkey's development of its indigenous 5th generation fighter jet, the KAAN. KAAN's successful progress led the United States to reconsider its position. However, Gler clarified that no concrete progress has yet been made in this area.

The TAI KAAN, also known as the TF (Turkish Fighter) or Milli Muharip Uak (MMU) in Turkish, is an advanced twin-engine stealth fighter currently under development by Turkish Aerospace Industries. The British company BAE Systems acts as subcontractor for this ambitious project. The main objectives of the KAAN program include replacing aging F-16 aircraft currently in service with the Turkish Air Force and offering the aircraft for export to other countries. However, the project faces challenges as a reliable supply chain for the engines needed for KAAN has not yet been established and financial issues remain a concern.

The KAAN fighter jet is not expected to enter the Turkish Air Force inventory until 2040.

Gler also shared detailed updates on the status of Turkey's S-400 missile defense system. Gler explained that all preparations for the deployment of the S-400 systems have been completed, including the construction of underground storage facilities and designated locations for their operation.

He stressed that the system is ready for immediate deployment. Once the order is issued, units will move to their designated regions and the entire system will be up and running within about 12 hours, Gler said.

The minister emphasized that the S-400 is a defensive system designed for air defense, adding that its use would depend on a significant and imminent threat of air attack against Turkey.

Gler also discussed recent discussions with the United States regarding the S-400s. He said Turkey strongly rejects any conditions or requirements proposed by the United States regarding the use of the system. According to Gler, the United States no longer has any objections to the Turkish position on this issue, provided that the S-400s remain under Turkish control, as agreed.

However, developments that contradict the minister's recent statements in Parliament have come to light. For example, Turkey announced a new air defense initiative, Project Steel Dome, aimed at strengthening the country's air defense capabilities. This project was approved at the latest meeting of the Defense Industry Executive Committee, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoan on August 6. The Russian-made S-400 long-range missile system, previously acquired by Turkey, is notably excluded from this project. Ankara previously justified its purchase of S-400s by citing the refusal of the United States and EU countries to provide the necessary defense systems.

The omission of the advanced S-400 system from Turkey's new defense strategy highlighted the lingering effects of past disputes with NATO and the United States. The move highlighted the delicate balance Turkey finds itself amid ongoing tensions over its acquisition of the Russian missile system.

Additionally, during an annual meeting with journalists held on December 16, 2023 in Ankara, Gler subtly acknowledged that the S-400 system is currently inactive, but emphasized that it would be deployed if circumstances required.

In December 2017, Ankara announced that it had signed an agreement with Russia to purchase two batches of the S-400 missile system, one for immediate delivery and the other as an option. Turkish officials confirmed that a deposit had been transferred to Russia for the S-400 systems, costing a total of $2.5 billion. They also indicated that this cooperation could evolve into joint production of the S-500 system in the future.

The purchase of the S-400s raised serious concerns from the United States and NATO. They argued that the system could collect intelligence on NATO defense operations and aircraft, potentially sharing that data with Russia.

Despite these concerns, the first components of the S-400 system arrived in Türkiye on July 12, 2019, as announced by the Ministry of National Defense.

In 2021, the US administration officially withdrew Turkey from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program due to Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system in 2017.

The United States has repeatedly warned Turkey that activating the S-400 missiles or purchasing a second batch would result in tougher sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries through Defense Act. sanctions (CAATSA). On December 14, 2020, the United States imposed sanctions on the Turkish Presidency of Defense Industries (Savunma Sanayii Bakanl, SSB) and some of its key officials over the purchase of S-400s.

According to former Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the expulsion would cost Turkey $11 billion in export revenue because some F-35 components would no longer be manufactured in Turkey.

Unable to acquire the F-35, Turkey decided to modernize its aging F-16 fleet. However, this project faced obstacles due to American restrictions. Ultimately, Turkey managed to alleviate some of these obstacles by approving Sweden and Finland's membership in NATO. As a result, the United States lifted restrictions on the sale of F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Turkey.

Meanwhile, Turkey continues to express interest in acquiring 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, while the United States moves forward with a sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara for $23 billion .

Minutes of the parliamentary meeting regarding Gler regarding S-400 missiles and F-35 fighter jets.

Defense budget