>With few other options at its disposal, Washington has been forced to threaten to withhold deliveries of F-35 fighters to Turkey in retaliation for Ankara's purchase of a batch of Russian-made S-400 anti-air missiles.
>But with several more shipments of the anti-aircraft missiles due by the end of the summer, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn't backing down. Rather, during remarks in the capital on Monday, he celebrated the arrival of the missiles, and said he would like to co-produce weapons with Russia, according to RT.
>Speaking on the third anniversary of the failed coup attempt that set off one of the greatest purges in Turkish history, Erdogan promised that the newly-acquired S-400 weapons systems would be fully deployed in less than a year. Russian cargo planes began delivering the components on Friday, and more parts are expected to be delivered soon.
>"And as of today, the eighth plane arrived and started being unloaded. Inshallah [God willing], we will be done by April 2020," Erdogan said. Then, he said the Turkish government would "go much further" with a view to setting up "joint production with Russia."
>The purchase of the S-400 systems has elicited threats of retaliation from the US, which has vowed to cut Turkey, a fellow NATO member, off from sales of advanced weapons like the F-35, while also threatening sanctions (last year, Trump terminated a preferential trade agreement with Turkey in the spat over the S-400).
>If Turkey continues to cooperate with Russia on things like arms purchases, expect Washington to impose sanctions and tariffs as Turkey tests the future of NATO.
ERDOGAN: TURKEY WILL DEVELOP NEW WEAPONS WITH RUSSIA
It's time to retake Constantinople
Why the pic?
It’s the same user that keeps posting about the “decline of the American empire”. Seems to have a fetish for barefoot karate women.
>fetish for barefoot karate women
oddly specific
Erdogan seems like a retarded bottom-feeder. If his plan was to make Turkey the antagonist of NATo despite being a part of NATO he seemingly succeeded. I have no love for Turks or Turkey, I wish they would stop coming to my country but Turks in Turkey aren't retarded and it seems like they are well aware of the damage Erdogan has done. So either Turkey throws Erdogan under the bus and moves towards repairing the relationship with the US and NATO as a whole or Turkey can enjoy the loss of all those international projects that are or will be in place. Good luck with that.
he tells NATO go fuck itself all the while enjoying all the benefits of being in NATO.
that's not retarded, that's fucking smart you dumbass.
I know, right? They all seem to be from Central European tournaments for some reason, too. The guy must have a ton of these pics, because he always seems to have new ones every post.
He's not enjoying any benefits and just lost NATO's top 5th generation jet. NATO and the EU are tired of his shit, he's walking on ice that's thinner than his skin.
wasn't turkey allowed into NATO to avoid exactly this?
Well, without the fear of Soviet-backed communist insurgencies, some factions of the Turkish government are much more willing to work with the Russians than they were in the late 20th century. Either way, the main concern for NATO re Turkey is maintaining control over the Bosporus Straits and keeping the Black Sea Fleet out of the Mediterranean, which, in a worst case scenario (Turkey joins Russia, Russian Navy gains limited access to the Med), can be accomplished by the Italian Navy.
welp, time to buy a Canik before the price skyrockets
>implying the Italian navy won't get shredded and steamrolled
he doesn't need F-35. it's shit and he knows it.
Italy actually has a pretty impressive navy for a country of their size. Their geographic position basically demands it. Add in some American SSNs to the mix, and they stand a real chance of stopping a Russian breakout into the Mediterranean.
>he doesn't need F-35
Correct. Turkey isn't likely to be fighting other 5th gen aircraft anytime soon.
>it's shit
Nah.
>Nah
yeah
what the actual fuck, Turkey population heading more and more to seculatization and this retard trying to do some sultan bullshit and now wants to antagonize NATO, guess Greece will win some new provinces very soon
Well, the population itself seems to be turning against Erdogan and the AKP if the most recent city-level elections are to be believed. Not sure if Erdogan's foreign policy decisions will survive through his successor or not.
Good, kick Turkey out of NATO. We don't need it anymore now we have Ukraine.
>I have no idea what I'm talking about
Pretty much the only reason they haven't been kicked yet, NATO realized this and is just waiting him to fall for a moderate on its own since the coup failed, than they can find a way to undo this shit, though their economy is going pretty bad I heard and that usually give more power to this proto authoritarians
>Russian delusionally thinks that they can tempt Ukraine back to them after all the shit they've pulled
Hahaha, Ukraine will be a Wectern satellite for ever.
God I hope they do, I live on the med
Sure, but I think he was referring to the fact that a western-aligned Ukraine won't suddenly make NATO control over the only entrance to the Black Sea unnecessary.
The F-35 is going to be the best aircraft on the market by far especially at the time when Turkey was planned to get it. Now he's desperately trying to pretend they're going anywhere with their own project and don't need the F-35, but they'll never get anything even remotely close to the F-35.