Turkey Must ‘Destroy, Return or Somehow Get Rid of the S-400’ - U.S. Demands

Amid ongoing disagreements between two of the NATO alliance’s oldest members, Turkey and the United States, over the former’s acquisition of the S-400 hypersonic surface to air missile system, a senior U.S. State Department official has clarified the American position regarding terms for a rapprochement. Addressing reporters at a briefing, the terms laid out to Ankara were as follows: “There is room for Turkey to come back to the table. They know that to make this work they need to either destroy or return or somehow get rid of the S-400... They [Turkish government] know that they have the choice to move forward and the choice is to rid themselves of the S-400 so that we can move forward.” The official further reiterated threats to impose sanctions on Turkey should it fail to comply with American terms.

Washington has threatened Ankara with economic sanctions, and has terminated Turkish participation in the F-35 fifth generation fighter program to be resumed only if the S-400 deal is scrapped. Turkey for its part has threatened to buy other advanced fighters to replace the American jets, showing particular interest in the Russian Su-35 and Su-57 both of which compare favourably in their capabilities to the F-35, and is preceding with its own fifth generation fighter program.