ANKARA: Russia said it is preparing to ship its S-400 anti-ballistic missile system to Turkey despite opposition from the latter’s key NATO allies.
As Turkey boasts the second-largest army in the alliance after the US, the purchase of Russian-made, high-tech defense equipment has sparked intense debate about its interoperability with NATO radars.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said his country had already paid a deposit to Russia for the S-400s.
“If we’re having issues in acquiring certain defense instruments and our attempts are met with obstacles, we’ll take care of ourselves,” he said, alluding to difficulties Turkey has faced in purchasing armed drones from allied countries.
Technical experts say it is necessary to create an interface program to ensure the compatibility and interoperability of the S-400 system with NATO’s missile defense.
“But there’s a need for political consensus on this between the parties, which isn’t likely at all,” Prof. Mustafa Kibaroglu, director of the Center for International Security Studies and Strategic Research at MEF University in Istanbul, told Arab News.
“Acquiring air defense systems is likely to increase Turkey’s deterrent capability, which in turn might enhance its self-confidence and help bring more stability to its relations with other countries in the region.”
Underlining that Turkey, despite being a NATO member, is not obligated to buy military equipment from a particular group of countries, Kibaroglu said Russia is a legitimate supplier for air defense systems.
“In an age of worsening relations between the West and Russia, the recent bid has caused grave concerns” among NATO members, he added.
The S-400 deal alone is unlikely to make Turkey and Russia strategic partners overnight, and does not suggest a major deviation from Ankara’s foreign and security policies, Kibaroglu said.
“Existing differences, and ad hoc cooperation between Turkey and Russia in handling terrorism threats emanating from Iraq and Syria, won’t be dramatically affected by the deal, at least in the foreseeable future,” he added.
Can Kasapoglu, a defense analyst at the Istanbul-based Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, said interoperability between the S-400 and NATO’s integrated ballistic missile defense architecture is not possible.
“This doesn’t arise merely from technical difficulties, but from greater political-military concerns,” he told Arab News.
“Anyone who monitored NATO’s Wales and Warsaw summits could have detected the extremely negative mood regarding Russia, especially after Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.”
Kasapoglu said while Turkey does not plan to drift away from NATO’s systems, diversification of its military cooperation portfolio and procurement makes it resilient in the face of diplomatic fluctuations. But he highlighted two drawbacks regarding the S-400 deal.
“First, Turkey’s defense budget might be overstretched by running two defensive strategic weapons agendas, one for the Russian SAM and the other for a NATO-friendly system with EUROSAM,” Kasapoglu said.
“Second, any further strains in the strategic balance between NATO and Russia would put Turkey’s S-400 deal under the spotlight. Furthermore, an undeclared war has been going on in the eastern part of Ukraine, and there’s no way Turkey’s Foreign Ministry could recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea.”
Elli Kytomaki, an arms control expert and analyst at SaferGlobe, a Finnish think-tank, told Arab News that the purchase of the S-400 “would make Turkey the first NATO member to use the system within the alliance.”
He said: “The US has already raised concerns over the purchase, but it doesn’t seem to be a deal-breaker or a cause for sanctions by NATO or Turkey’s other Western allies, such as the EU.”
Kytomaki added that Turkey wants to frame a more independent foreign policy and gain more knowhow in missile technology.
“The Russian system is also said to be cheaper than the alternatives that were on the table when the purchase was first being considered,” she said.
In light of tensions in Turkey’s security partnership with the US, experts said the S-400 deal could spark further disagreement between Ankara and Washington.
“But even if Turkey were to reconsider its decision” to procure the S-400, “I don’t think it would make the Pentagon withdraw its support” for the Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), Kasapoglu said.
“Nevertheless, many of Turkey’s competitors would use the S-400 issue to claim that Ankara is shifting from its traditional alliance to a more pro-Russia position. This propaganda could affect the US stance vis-a-vis Turkey when discussing the PYD issue.”
Turkey and Russia to go ahead with arms deal
Turkey and Russia to go ahead with arms deal

Jordan closes airspace, says it won’t be battleground for any conflict

DUBAI: Jordan has not and will not allow any violation of its airspace, nor will it be a battleground for any conflict, a senior minister said in a statement on Friday.
“Jordan’s national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not allow any attempt to threaten its security and the safety of its citizens,” Mohammad Momani, Minister of Government Communication and Government Spokesperson added.
Momani also urged the international community to exercise pressure in order to restore calm and prevent further escalation in the region.
Jordan’s aviation authority closed the country’s airspace and grounded all flights after Israel attacked Iran.
“The Kingdom’s airspace is temporarily closed, and air traffic suspended for all aircraft – incoming, outgoing and in transit, as a precaution against any risks resulting from the regional escalation,” the authority said in a statement.
The country’s armed forces were also placed on high alert in response to growing regional tensions, a military source said, in a report from state news agency Petra.
The General Command was closely monitoring developments in the region and that the armed forces were at the highest levels of operational and logistical readiness to respond any potential emergencies, the Petra report noted.
After Israel strikes Iran, airlines divert flights, airspace closed

- Iranian airspace has been closed until further notice, state media reported
- Six commercial aircraft have been shot down unintentionally and three nearly missed since 2001, according to aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions
SEOUL: Airlines cleared out of the airspace over Israel, Iran and Iraq early on Friday after Israel launched attacks on targets in Iran, Flightradar24 data showed, with carriers scrambling to divert and cancel flights to keep passengers and crew safe.
Proliferating conflict zones around the world are becoming an increasing burden on airline operations and profitability, and more of a safety concern.
Six commercial aircraft have been shot down unintentionally and three nearly missed since 2001, according to aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions.
Israel on Friday said it targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.
Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice, and Israel’s air defense units stood at high alert for possible retaliatory strikes from Iran.
Israeli flag carrier El Al Airlines said it had suspended flights to and from Israel.
Iranian airspace has been closed until further notice, state media reported.
Jordan also closed its airspace to all flights.
As reports of strikes on Iran emerged, a number of commercial flights by airlines including Dubai’s Emirates, Lufthansa and Air India were flying over Iran.
Emirates, Lufthansa and Air India did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Iraq early on Friday closed its airspace and suspended all traffic at its airports, Iraqi state media reported.
Eastern Iraq near the border with Iran contains one of the world’s busiest air corridors, with dozens of flights crossing between Europe and the Gulf, many on routes from Asia to Europe, at any one moment.
Flights steadily diverted over Central Asia or Saudi Arabia, flight tracking data showed.
“The situation is still emerging — operators should use a high degree of caution in the region at this time,” according to Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that shares flight risk information.
Several flights due to land in Dubai were diverted early on Friday. An Emirates flight from Manchester to Dubai was diverted to Istanbul and a flydubai flight from Belgrade diverted to Yerevan, Armenia.
Budget carrier flydubai said it had suspended flights to Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Iran and Israel and a number of other flights had been canceled, rerouted or returned to their departure airports.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East since October 2023 led to commercial aviation sharing the skies with short-notice barrages of drones and missiles across major flight paths – some of which were reportedly close enough to be seen by pilots and passengers.
Last year, planes were shot down by weaponry in Kazakhstan and in Sudan. These incidents followed the high-profile downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 and of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 en route from Tehran in 2020.
Iran’s Khamenei warns Israel faces ‘bitter and painful fate’

TEHRAN: Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel would suffer severe consequences after launching deadly attacks on the Islamic republic on Friday, including Tehran and nuclear sites.
“With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it,” Khamenei said in a statement.
UN nuclear watchdog says ‘closely monitoring’ situation after Israel strikes Iran

VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog confirmed Friday that Israeli strikes were targeting an Iranian uranium enrichment site, saying it was “closely monitoring the deeply concerning situation.”
“The IAEA is closely monitoring the deeply concerning situation in Iran. Agency can confirm Natanz site among targets,” International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said in a post on the agency’s X feed, as the IAEA’s board of governors meets this week in Vienna.
“The agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country,” he added.
IRGC commander, 2 nuclear scientists killed in Israeli strikes: Iran state TV

- Khamenei, Revolutionary Guards warn Israel of “harsh punishment” for its attacks
- Dead scientists identified as Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi
RIYADH: Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei confirmed on Friday that several military commanders and scientists were “martyred” in Israeli strikes on Tehran.
In a statement carried on state television, Khamenei warned that Israel will not go unpunished for its attacks.
State television earlier said that Hossein Salami, the chief of the Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was among those killed, along with another top Guard official and two nuclear scientists.
An anchor read a statement saying: “The news of assassination and martyrdom of Gen. Hossein Salami was confirmed.” The anchor did not elaborate.
“The martyrdom of... Major General Gholam Ali Rashid is confirmed,” state television said.
A major power center within Iran’s theocracy, with vast business interests and oversees the nation’s ballistic missile arsenal, the IRGC had been accused by Iran's neighbors of maintaining proxy militias such as the Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Al-Hashd al-Shaabi of Iraq.
Iran’s Nournews also reported that Ali Shamkhani, a rear admiral who serves as adviser to Khamenei, was “critically injured.”
State television and local media also reported the death of two scientists working on Iran's nuclear program. They were identified as Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.
Several children were also reportedly killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital.
Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions including at the country’s main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, while Israel declared a state of emergency in anticipation of retaliatory missile and drone strikes.
In a recorded video message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel targeted Iranian scientists working on a nuclear bomb, its ballistic missile program and its Natanz uranium enrichment facility, in an operation that he said would continue "for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”
“We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history,” Netanyahu said, adding that the targeted military operation was meant to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.
An Israeli military official said Israel was striking “dozens” of nuclear and military targets including the facility at Natanz in central Iran. The official said Iran had enough material to make 15 nuclear bombs within days.
Alongside extensive air strikes, Israel’s Mossad spy agency led a series of covert sabotage operations inside Iran, Axios reported, citing a senior Israeli official. These operations were aimed at damaging Iran’s strategic missile sites and its air defense capabilities.
Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice, and Israel’s air defense units stood at high alert for possible retaliatory strikes from Iran.
“Following the pre-emptive strike by the State of Israel against Iran, a missile and UAV (drone) attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate time frame,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
(With Agencies)