Turkey Denies Moving S-400 to Incirlik Base

Russian service members sit in the cabins of S-400 missile air defense systems in Moscow (File Photo: Reuters)
Russian service members sit in the cabins of S-400 missile air defense systems in Moscow (File Photo: Reuters)
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Turkey Denies Moving S-400 to Incirlik Base

Russian service members sit in the cabins of S-400 missile air defense systems in Moscow (File Photo: Reuters)
Russian service members sit in the cabins of S-400 missile air defense systems in Moscow (File Photo: Reuters)

Turkey has denied reports that the S-400 missile defense system was moved to Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.

"The claims on social media that the S-400s were taken to Incirlik are not true," a statement from the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The Incirlik base, which is under NATO supervision, hosts US nuclear warheads. Washington uses the base under an agreement with Turkey approved by its parliament.

The allegations of transferring the batteries of the Russian system to the base came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met his US counterpart Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome last Sunday.

Turkey refused to get rid of the Russian missiles, as demanded by Washington, which fears that they could be used to collect information about the capabilities of the advanced F-35 warplane.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that a joint working group on disagreements would be established with the US, including the issue of the Russian-made advanced S-400 defense system, the Gulenist Group (FETO).

During a parliamentary session, Cavusoglu presented the 2022 budget of the Foreign Ministry and related institutions at the Planning and Budget Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

The minister stated that Turkey remains in contact with the US, adding that the meeting between Erdogan and Biden was in a constructive atmosphere.

Cavusoglu said that the US cooperation with the PKK/YPG, FETO's presence in the US, and its stance on the S-400-related sanctions are incompatible with the spirit of alliance.

He pointed out that relevant institutions and ministries related to forming the working group and discussing issues are carrying out studies.

Meanwhile, Turkish authorities detained 17 people on Wednesday for attacking a visiting US Navy civilian employee in Istanbul.

The group that carried out the act, the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), put a hood over the head of the US civilian in a protest against US policy in the Middle East.

They shared images on Twitter of the incident, in which a group of people chanted anti-US slogans.

"You are our enemy, and you are not wanted here. We will not allow US soldiers to roam free in our lands. Yankee go home," the group said.

The group also criticized US support for Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters who are considered terrorists by Ankara.

The 17 people detained had targeted a civilian employee of a US Navy ship that "came to our city as part of a port visit," the governor's office said in a statement. It did not elaborate on any possible charges against the group.

The governor's office said that "the 17 detainees targeted a civilian employee of a US Navy ship who came to our city as part of a visit to the port."



Wake up and Spend More on Defense, Macron Tells Europe as Trump Takes Office

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a New Year speech to the Armed Forces during a visit at the Digital Support and Cyber Command (CATNC) of the French Army in Cesson-Sevigne, near Rennes, France, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a New Year speech to the Armed Forces during a visit at the Digital Support and Cyber Command (CATNC) of the French Army in Cesson-Sevigne, near Rennes, France, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)
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Wake up and Spend More on Defense, Macron Tells Europe as Trump Takes Office

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a New Year speech to the Armed Forces during a visit at the Digital Support and Cyber Command (CATNC) of the French Army in Cesson-Sevigne, near Rennes, France, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a New Year speech to the Armed Forces during a visit at the Digital Support and Cyber Command (CATNC) of the French Army in Cesson-Sevigne, near Rennes, France, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe Monday to “wake up” and spend more on defense in order to reduce its reliance on the United States for its security, in a speech to the French military as Donald Trump returns to power.

Macron referred to expected changes in Washington’s foreign policy, especially regarding the war in Ukraine, saying it was an “opportunity for a European strategic wake-up call,” in his New Year’s speech to the military at the Army Digital and Cyber Support Command based in western France.

“What will we do in Europe tomorrow if our American ally withdraws its warships from the Mediterranean? If they send their fighter jets from the Atlantic to the Pacific?” he asked.

Trump has criticized the cost of the war in Ukraine for US taxpayers through major military aid packages and has made it clear that he wants to shift more of the fiscal burden onto Europe. He has vowed to bring the conflict to a swift end, voicing hope that peace could be negotiated in six months.

France and Europe need to adapt to evolving threats and changing interests, Macron said. “Who would have thought a year ago that Greenland would be at the center of political and strategic debates? That’s the way it is.”

He said providing lasting support to Ukraine is key so that Kyiv is in a strong position when engaging in any future peace negotiations.

Ukraine must receive “guarantees” against any return of the war on its territory when hostilities cease and Europe must take “play its full role” in the process, he said.

Last week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed with Macron about the possibility of Western troops deploying in Ukraine to safeguard any peace deal ending the nearly three-year war with Russia.

“As one of these guarantees, we discussed the French initiative to deploy military contingents in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

Potentially sending European troops as peacekeepers to Ukraine is fraught with risk. Such a move may not deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again in the future, which is the fear of Ukrainian officials, and could drag European countries into a direct confrontation with Moscow. That, in turn, could pull NATO — including the United States — into a conflict.