Russia and Turkey sign $2.5 billion anti-missile system deal

Trump's outrageous decision has cemented unlikely allies in Erdogan and Putin. Turkey's bid to buy the Russian air defence system will be partly financed by Moscow.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

29 December, 2017

Russia's S-400 appears to be the must have air defence system

Turkish and Russian officials have signed a deal for the purchase of a Russian-made anti-missile system worth $2.5 billion reported Turkish media.

The Hurriyet Daily News newspaper said the loan deal for four S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries was signed in the Turkish capital Ankara on Friday.

Negotiations have been more than a year in the making, and the weapons cannot be integrated into the NATO’s defences, signalling a snub to Washington and its allies.

The S-400 has become a popular defence system of choice in the region. Saudi Arabia and Qatar appear both ready to purchase the system.

Russia and Turkey continue to back opposing sides in the Syria war and their relations were severely strained after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border in 2015.

But since a failed coup attempt in Turkey, Putin has voiced his support for Erdogan and courted closer relations with the NATO member. The two countries have since cooperated closely on establishing de-escalation zones in Syria.

Moscow and Ankara are also working to build the TurkStream gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey, and the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which is being built in Turkey with Russian collaboration.

The Russian president concluded a whirlwind one-day tour in the Middle East in Ankara while there was growing anger in the region over Trump’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem and recognising it as the capital of Israel, and joined his Turkish counterpart in criticising the US decision, signalled warming ties between the two countries.