Page 15 - TURKRptJul19

over a period of time because of the ability to understand the profile of the F-35 on that particular piece of equipment." The first four F-35s due to be delivered to Turkey have still not left the US. Erdogan reiterated on June 4 that Turkey remained "determined" to proceed with the S-400 acquisition, which his officials have repeatedly described as a “done deal”. "Unfortunately we haven't received a positive proposal from the American side on the subject of Patriots like the S-400s from Russia," Erdogan said.
US House hits Turkey with S-400 resolution, proposes sanctions if Russian missiles are delivered. The US House of Representatives has agreed a resolution urging Ankara to cancel its planned purchase of S-400 air defence systems from Russia and proposing sanctions should Turkey accept the delivery of the military hardware, which Moscow says could occur as soon as July. “We rarely see it in foreign affairs, but this is a black and white issue. There is no middle ground. Either [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan cancels the Russian deal, or he doesn’t,” Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on the House floor on June 9, according to Reuters. “There is no future for Turkey having both Russian weapons and American F-35s. There’s no third option,” he added. Turkey’s foreign ministry responded that the resolution’s language was “unfounded” and “unfair”.
Up to 2mn refugees could head for Turkey if fighting intensifies in northwestern Syria: UN. As many as two million refugees could head for Turkey if fighting intensifies in northwestern Syria and aid funds run critically low, the United Nations said on June 10. Turkey already hosts more than three million refugees who have fled the Syria conflict. The European Union pays it do so, fearing an influx of refugees on the European continent should Turkey not prove a viable home, at least on a temporary basis. Syria's Russian- backed military has been pushing hard against rebels in their last major stronghold, using both air attacks and ground battles to make headway. The onslaught began in late April. The UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Panos Moumtzis, told Reuters in Geneva that the situation was deteriorating and a deal between Russia and Turkey to deescalate the fighting there was effectively no longer in place.The UN appealed for $3.3bn to cover humanitarian work within Syria this year, and despite generous pledges, it has so far received only $500mn, leaving the aid effort surviving "hand-to-mouth", Moumtzis said.
Day-old ceasefire looks over as Syrian government forces reportedly attack Turkish observation post. Syrian government forces attacked a Turkish observation post in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, Turkey’s Defence Ministry said on June 13. Ankara has made representations to Moscow about the incident. The previous day there were reports that a ceasefire had been negotiated between Syrian rebels—some of whom are backed by Turkey which exercises some control over much of Syria’s northwest—and Russian-backed government forces. But if it’s not over already, it is on shaky ground after intermittent bombing and shelling resumed overnight in Idlib province, the last piece of rebel-held territory in Syria. Russia and Turkey had reportedly negotiated the ceasefire to end more than six weeks of fighting, bombing and shelling. But Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters on June 13 that “it is not possible” to call it a “full cease-fire right now.” “Russia and Iran as guarantor countries should put pressure” on the Syrian government “for the attacks to stop,” Cavusoglu was cited as saying by The New York Times. “They should fulfill their responsibilities,” he added. The terms of the ceasefire remained unclear. Neither Turkey nor Russia said how long it was supposed to last. Russia’s Defence Ministry said on June 13 that Russian jets had bombed forces it called terrorists in Idlib four times after the Turkish military outpost was shelled. The government offensive to retake Idlib after eight years of civil war has displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and killed hundreds of civilians.
15 TURKEY Country Report July 2019 www.intellinews.com