The issue regarding the deployment or not of the Russians has essentially been overcome, while the issue of their possession is expected to be settled within the next six months, assessed the ambassador in Ankara, Tom Barak, speaking at a conference on .
According to what he mentioned, the issue of the S-400 is directly linked to the exclusion of Turkey from the fighter program, as he pointed out, the acquisition of the Russian anti-aircraft system was the main reason for the tension in the relations between Washington and Ankara.
As he argued, Congress activated CAATSA, imposing restrictions on Turkey and its state-owned defense companies as long as it retains the S-400s. “This is a conversation that has been going on for about ten years,” he noted, adding that Donald Trump, upon his return to the presidency, called the situation absurd.
Positive words of the US ambassador to Turkey about the defense industry of the neighbor
Tom Barak underlined that Turkey now has a developed defense industry, which places special emphasis on the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and which is one of the main suppliers of Ukraine. At the same time, it has its own fighter jets and, when it does not have access to American weapons systems, it turns to alternatives, such as the European Eurofighters.
He also recalled that Turkey initially participated in the F-35 program, contributing decisively to the construction of parts of the fuselage, while he noted that the fighters intended for Ankara remain stored in the US, in California.
The meeting between Trump and Erdogan was positive
Referring to recent high-level contacts, the American ambassador emphasized that Donald Trump’s meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan was particularly positive and brought progress on issues that had remained open for over a decade. Among them, he said, was the issue of the S-400, which depends on two main conditions: the functionality of the system, which has now been settled, and the issue of possession, which is considered more complex.
“Everything is on the negotiating table,” concluded Tom Barak, estimating that open issues will be closed within the next four to six months.
