Russia Agrees to Sell S‑400 Anti-Missile System to Turkey, Marking Continued Improvement in Bilateral Ties
Russia reportedly came to agreement with Turkey on July 26 to sell its S‑400 anti-missile system, viewed by many as the most potent long-range missile defense system available. The agreement is the latest sign of what appears to be a sustained recovery in bilateral relations between the two countries in the period since Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, was assassinated at an Ankara art gallery in December 2016 and the Turkish Air Force downed a Russian Su-24 jet over its border with Syria in November 2015. Bilateral cooperation on the Turk Stream natural gas pipeline and the Akkuyu nuclear power plant are other major projects being worked jointly by the two governments. Other purchase agreements for the S‑400 have involved China, India and Algeria.