According to Turkish media reports on February 21, 2023, the Turkish military recently announced that despite repeated opposition from the United States, the S-400 anti-aircraft missile project introduced by Turkey is well underway, and the first deliveries are expected in 2019. In addition, Turkey plans to introduce American-made Patriot PAC-3 air defense systems. This means that Turkey may have advanced weapons made by both the United States and Russia, which is a unique situation in the world. So what exactly are Turkey's intentions?
Experts say that Turkey's move is aimed at using its special geographical location to lure the United States and Russia into competing for closeness without offending Russia and the United States. It is widely believed that Turkey will be the biggest beneficiary in this game, as it has maximized its own interests. Situated at the crossroads of three continents, Turkey has several important key areas and is very powerful. However, in terms of the construction of air defense, Turkey has been relatively lagging behind. Therefore, they sought global suppliers, who had planned to buy Russian Hongqi-9 missiles, but later changed their minds. Next, they decided to buy Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missiles. However, due to the downing of the Russian military plane and the instability of the domestic situation, Turkey changed its attitude and finally decided to introduce the "Patriot"-3 anti-aircraft missile at the same time.
Given Turkey's location in the Middle East, conflicts in nearby countries could spill over into Turkish territory. Failure to secure the airspace over the border would pose a threat to Turkey's national security. Although Turkey is a member of NATO, its ties to NATO are not strong, and its geographical location and historical siding have determined that NATO and Western countries will include it in the organization. Therefore, Turkey is more like a peripheral member of NATO, which can be sacrificed at any time. In this case, strengthening the construction of its own air defense system and gaining more bargaining chips has become Turkey's first choice.
Another important reason for Turkey's purchase of the S-400 is that it wants to reduce its dependence on Western technology, introduce the technology of air defense weapons from other countries, and improve its own technological level. This is very beneficial for Turkey's future path to independent development. Despite Turkey's skepticism of Western countries, at this stage, Turkey is needed both in Europe and in the United States, and therefore cannot put undue pressure on its plans to purchase S-400 systems. Of course, Turkey will not sever relations with Western countries, and they still want to maintain friendly relations with Western countries, rather than part ways.