Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Opinion
  • Columns
  • Op-Ed
  • Reader's Corner
  • Editorial

CAATSA crisis: Turkey wants empathy from NATO ally

by Nagehan Alçı

Dec 19, 2020 - 12:05 am GMT+3
by Nagehan Alçı Dec 19, 2020 12:05 am

The decades-old partnership between Turkey and the U.S. is on rocky ground. Here, the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions against Turkey have been taken as an insult. It is hard for Turkish citizens such as myself, who defend having good relations with the West, to see Turkey being treated like North Korea or China.

You can ask why Turkey purchased the Russian S-400 defense systems, it is a reasonable question to have, but what tends to be forgotten is that Ankara had been trying to buy American Patriots since 2012.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration simply did not want to sell them and firmly shut down the prospect of transferring technology and information sharing with its NATO ally in 2013.

The U.S. Congress denied the demand so Turkey opened bidding to other channels willing to sell the country air defense systems. The same American firm applied but again refused to provide the technology transfer.

A Chinese firm won the bid but since it was on the U.S. embargo list, Turkey annulled the deal in a show of respect.

Another two years passed with Ankara stressing its need for an air defense system on every occasion, but its words fell on deaf ears. Finally, in 2017, Russia and Turkey brokered a deal. The S-400s were to arrive on Turkish soil, and the deal would include technology transfer.

In order to prevent the trade, the U.S. threatened to exclude Turkey from its F-35 program, which was taken as an insult to the sovereign state and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration.

If you think about it, which government of a sovereign state wouldn't take such a threat as an insult? As a NATO ally, Turkey's needs were being overlooked while its alternatives were being outlawed.

A quick look at declarations made by Turkish officials will reveal that the country emphasizes the importance of being a NATO member and partner to the U.S., clearly expressing that Turkey has no intention of severing ties with the West or altering its course.

Ankara just wants to be able to ensure its population's security and to have an understanding of how the air defense system deployed in its territory works.

Turkey's NATO membership is crucial, but the country having good ties with Russia does not mean that it should have to make a choice between the two.

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    turkey-us relations us sanctions nato defense washington ankara countering americas adversaries through sanctions act
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance
     Eastern Anatolian Fault line triggered another fault segment called the Sürgü fault, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Feb. 9, 2023. (DHA Photo)

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's spectacular, historical grand bazaars and markets

    Travel

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    Golden Poison Dart Frog
    The most dangerous animals in the world
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021