Ready to remove from its territory the Russians, who for years have been a point of friction with their countries and are the main obstacle to the supply of American goods, according to what Bloomberg reports citing the American ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barak.
More specifically, according to what the agency reports, Tom Barak, speaking at a conference in Abu Dhabi, asserted that he expects a solution to the relevant issues within the next four to six months, while he answered positively to a question about whether. Although the system is not in operational use, Ankara still has the missiles, radars and all related equipment.
What has come before with the S-400
The issue of the S-400 was also raised in the Trump-Erdogan meeting at the White House in September. The purchase of the S-400 about ten years ago had led to Turkey’s expulsion from the F-35 development program, limiting access to sensitive American systems.
NATO has repeatedly expressed concerns that the simultaneous presence of S-400s and F-35s in the Turkish arsenal could allow Russia to obtain critical information about the fighter jet’s operational capabilities.
During their talks, , stressing however that Ankara “will have to do something” in return. Without elaborating, he hinted — something that, according to Barak, is already underway. The ambassador also said that Trump and Erdogan’s personal relationship has helped improve bilateral ties.
Will Turkey have a role in Gaza?
Barak also revealed that Washington wants Turkey’s participation in the international force envisioned by Trump’s plan to stabilize Gaza. He even estimated that Ankara, due to its relations with Hamas, could play an important role in the demilitarization of the organization. Despite this, he considers it unlikely that Benjamin Netanyahu will accept Turkish participation, after the break in relations between the two countries since 2023, and their competition for influence in the Middle East and Syria.
Israel could escalate operations in Lebanon
Among other things in his statements, the American official also expressed fears about a possible expansion of Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah, pointing out that the Lebanese army is not proving capable of implementing the terms of the truce reached a year ago. As he argued, the military crushing of the organization is not a realistic goal, stressing that “violence begets more violence.” He also called on Beirut and Tel Aviv to start direct talks, despite the lack of diplomatic relations.
