NATO also argues that Russian systems will be incompatible with Western systems, something Ankara readily acknowledges. Turkey argues that buying the famed Patriot missiles from the United States would not suffice since Washington will not transfer the system's technology along with the missiles. Ankara sees procuring an advanced missile as an opportunity to garner the cutting edge technology that could enable it to make its own domestically built systems in the future.
However, the Russians insist that supplying the Turks with S-400s will not enable them to replicate the technology nor inadvertently give NATO a good look at what is arguably Moscow's most formidable air defence missile system.
It is logical that Doha wants such a system to protect its own airspace and deter any attacks
Russia's state-run Sputnik News even ran an article with the rather amusing title 'Taking It Apart Won't Help': Why S-400's Secrets Safe Despite Sale to Turkey. The article argues, among other things, that the version of the S-400 Turkey is acquiring is less sophisticated than the ones in Russia's own arsenal. Regardless of this, Ankara will, for $2.5 billion, still acquire a variant of the S-400 that will "retain most of its combat capability" and remains "one of the most modern defensive systems in the world, capable of closing its airspace under a dependable umbrella".
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan argues that the Western powers are being hypocritical in opposing Turkey's acquisition of the system. Many in Washington want sanctions slapped on Ankara for buying the system and also want to prevent it from taking delivery of the 100 advanced American-made F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter jets it ordered.
American Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today met Erdoğan.
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) June 29, 2018
Both of them are trying to pass legislation in US Congress to pressure Turkey to release Pastor Brunson and prevent Turkey’s S-400 purchase pic.twitter.com/RMLzse79WM
"Greece, which is also a NATO member, has been using S-300 for years, no one says anything," Erdogan has pointed out, saying Turkey is being unfairly singled out.
However, it was because of Turkey that Greece ultimately ended up with those missiles. From January 1997 until December 1998, Turkey threatened war with Greek Cyprus over its own bid to acquire Russian missiles. At that time Cyprus sought to buy the advanced Russian missiles to undercut Turkey's de-facto air superiority over the partitioned island nation.
Ankara's threats to wage war over the missiles sparked a political crisis in Nicosia and led to a compromise deal with Athens to stave off war. Greece took delivery of the missiles destined for Cyprus and Turkey backed down.
Unlike Cyprus then, Turkey maintains complete control over its airspace and, as its infamous downing of a Russian bomber in November 2015 demonstrated, can be a formidable foe against any outsider.
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