Ankara's move to purchase the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system has been wreaking havoc on its ties with Washington and will also affect its defense relations with European countries, particularly concerning the fate of Italian and Spanish batteries deployed in Turkey.
Turkey’s need for medium-range air defense systems has risen seriously with increased missile and rocket firings by Syria since 2014. In 2013, NATO had deployed Patriot air defense systems of the United States, Germany and the Netherlands close to the Turkey-Syria border to defend Turkish air space.