Turkey Buys Russian Air Defense System, Former German Foreign Minister Blames Western Countries: Difficult Decision For NATO

Sistem pertahanan udara S-400 buatan Rusia. (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.ru/Yuri Shipilov)

JAKARTA - Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel criticized the West on Tuesday for refusing to sell air defense systems to Turkey when members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) needed them.

In a speech in Berlin, Gabriel, now chairman of the Atlantic think tank Brucke, said he had worked hard to improve relations between Turkey and the West.

Underlining he had opposed the rejection of Turkey's offer for the procurement of air defense systems, including the US-made Patriot system, he noted these systems are defensive in nature and cannot be used to attack other countries.

"As a result, Turkey decided to buy the S-400 missile defense system from Russia, a difficult decision for a NATO country", Gabriel said, citing Daily Sabah on March 16.

He stressed that the West must be careful to maintain its relationship with Ankara and do its best to keep the country within the Western bloc.

It is known that Turkey's initial purchase of the S-400 from Russia strained its relations with the United States. The move prompted Washington to remove Turkey from its new-generation F-35 Lightning II jet program.

Not only that, but the United States has also threatened to impose new sanctions if Turkey buys more major weapons systems from Moscow. The US pretext is that the system could be used by Russia covertly to obtain classified details on Lockheed Martin F-35 jets and is not compatible with NATO systems.

Meanwhile, Turkey denied and emphasized that the S-400 air defense system it purchased would not be integrated into the NATO system and would not pose a threat to the alliance.

Previous talks about Turkey's purchase of US-made Patriots fell through over several issues, ranging from the S-400 to Ankara's dissatisfaction with Washington's terms. Turkey said it would only agree to the offer if it included technology transfer and joint production terms.

Highlighting Turkey's geopolitical significance, Gabriel said, while Ankara's policies could be criticized, he remained adamant the country remaining in the Western bloc benefits all parties in the relationship.