France Info: arrival of S-400 in Ankara — another sign of the loss of us influence Original

"Parcel", which came to Turkey on the morning of July 12, is able to "change the big geopolitical balance of power", said the Director of the international news of Radio France Jean-Marc Fur.

As the journalist recalls on the radio station, a super-heavy cargo plane from Russia delivered to Ankara the first batch of components of Russian anti-aircraft missile systems S-400 — high-tech and mobile weapons systems. It is reported that by the end of the summer, Turkey should receive 120 missiles, and by the end of October, a system that allows intercepting any air vehicles, including stealth aircraft, should be put into operation. For all this, Turkey has paid more than €2 billion.

The strangeness of the situation is that Turkey, which has been an active member of NATO for 70 years, its second largest military force and the "stronghold of the Alliance on the Eastern front", buys advanced military equipment from Russia — the "traditional enemy" of NATO, notes Fur.

Despite the fears of NATO members about the safety of NATO operational data due to the arrival in Turkey of Russian military experts and Washington's warning about the refusal to supply Ankara with F-35 fighters in the event of the arrival of Russian missiles, it still happened. Now we have to wait for the us reaction, which can take the form of economic sanctions, the journalist argues, adding that the Turkish economy is already in a difficult situation — inflation in the country has reached 20%.

"Thus, it is not just a story about the supply of weapons, it is a turning point," — said the observer. First of all, it indicates Turkey's intention to "turn" towards Russia and China, not Europe and the United States, as before. "Given the pivotal role of Turkey (on the outskirts of Syria, Iraq and Iran), the potential chain reaction could be serious," predicts Fur.

In addition, the deal became a "symbolic and commercial success" for Russia — other countries, including India, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are now thinking about buying the S-400. Finally, this event was "another symptom of the loss of us influence", who were unable to impose their will on a historical ally, the journalist said.

Original news Inotv: 

https://russian.rt.com/inotv/2019-07-14/France-Info-pribitie-S-400-v