Is Russia’s planned missile sale to Turkey the real deal?
Though some critics claim Turkey has no serious intention of buying defense systems from Russia, some military experts say the proposal is definitely feasible.
Ankara and Moscow resolved many of their trade issues last week but are still haggling over the price of Russian S-400 long-range anti-aircraft missile systems, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said at a news conference May 10.
During a May 3 meeting at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, the presidents of both countries discussed weapons, the sanctions Russia imposed in 2015 after Ankara shot down one of its military jets, Turkish tariffs, construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and the first Turkish nuclear power plant, which is being developed in Akkuyu. Both also said they support the creation of safe zones in Syria.
After the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a joint news conference: "Turkey is an important and promising partner of Russia. Some time ago, the durability of our bilateral relations, as we know, was tested. Now, we can state confidently that the recovery period in Russia-Turkey ties is over, and we are returning to normal cooperation between partners.”
Russia has agreed to lift all sanctions on Turkish imports, except for its ban on tomatoes. Russia used to be Turkey’s largest export market for tomatoes, and the subject is sensitive. However, Putin said Russia has moved on, investing in production at great expense, and now grows its own.
