Is Turkey’s narrative on S-400s changing?
Source:Hurriyet Daily News Date:20Apr2019
There is a change in tone both in Ankara and DC about the S-400 crisis, writes Serkan Demirtas of Hurriyet Daily News:
It’s in this period that reports suggesting Turkey’s plans to deploying these systems to a third country are covered in some of the Turkish media outlets, although they have never been confirmed.
At the same time, we have been hearing less threatening public statements by American officials in the last two weeks. Without paying special emphasis on this, one would think that that would give more chances to backchannel diplomacy.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan struck an optimistic tone on whether the U.S. and Turkey could reach common ground regarding the S-400 acquisition, telling reporters at the Pentagon he would personally travel to Turkey and accompany the first deliveries of the F-35 to Ankara’s forces.
A compromise on S-400s would reintegrate Turkey to the Western bloc and aid economic recovery.