The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has expressed concern about reports that Turkey, a member of the alliance, used for the first time the Russian missile defense system “S400-” during exercises.
In statements to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), a NATO spokeswoman said on Saturday: “This system could pose a danger to Allied aircraft and affect relations between the alliance partners”.
The spokeswoman added that it was important for Turkey to continue to search for alternative solutions with other allies.
The spokeswoman said that the decision is a national matter for Turkey, but it is not possible to integrate the “S-400” system into the military alliance’s missile and air defense system.
Turkish media reports said earlier that the government in Ankara first tested Russian surface-to-air missiles on Friday in operating conditions near the city of Sinop on the Black Sea, and a NATO spokeswoman stated that “every test of the S-400 air defense system” is from During Turkey – if confirmed – it would be unfortunate.
Similar statements were issued in Washington, on Friday.
The United States had excluded Turkey from the F-35 program, due to Turkey’s purchase of the Russian missile defense system, and had threatened to impose sanctions on Ankara.
Turkey protested that it needed its own missile system in order to face threats from neighboring Syria and from within as well, noting that it had not received a reasonable alternative offer from its NATO partners.
It is noteworthy that the “S-400” system is a mobile air defense system that can deal with aircraft, missiles and other things in the air.
Its units, which usually consist of several missiles, radar and a command center, can be carried by trucks, and the “S-400” system can work with short missiles, medium and long range.
