Russia eyes big picture with S-400 sale to Turkey
Russia's controversial S-400 deal with Turkey is more about constructing a Middle East less dependent on the United States than direct competition.
MOSCOW — Russia sent Turkey a seventh batch of components for the S-400 missile systems over the weekend. The deliveries began on July 12 with three cargo planes delivering several tractors and a loading vehicle from the S-400 complex to Murted Air Base. The deliveries are set to be completed by April 2020 and Turkey expects to dispatch more specialists to Russia for training on operating the missile defense system.
"Their current number is not enough. Now there are 100 specialists but this number may be increased tenfold," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday. Erdogan hailed the S-400 deal as “the most important agreement in [Turkish] modern history.”
