The most important issues on the agenda in the meeting between President Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin are the developments taking place in Syria and the S-400 missile defense systems Russia is going to deliver to Turkey. The U.S.’s discomfort that Turkey is buying S-400 missile systems from Russia and the recent threats and pressures from the highest levels of the U.S. government are some of the most important issues on the two leaders’ table. Before his flight to Moscow, President Erdoğan said, “What we said before is still valid; we could come suddenly one night,” and his words were a clear answer to U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo. Pompeo’s statement that “Any military operation Turkey will carry out in Syria might bring about destructive consequences” was a statement which completely disregarded diplomatic practices, as was it an attempt to scare Turkey all while bearing the tone of an enemy country. The actual purpose was to protect the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization by preventing a military operation Turkey might carry out east of Euphrates River in Syria. Actually, President Erdoğan had already given the signs of a military operation before the March 31 local elections, during a political rally in the Kagıthane district of Istanbul. Erdoğan said, “After the elections, we are going to solve the Syria issue on the ground, not on the table, if possible.” Around the same time this statement was made, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and the chain of command of the Turkish Armed Forces inspected troops stationed on the Syrian border. Akar also inaugurated the Advanced Joint Operation Center in where the planned operation east of Euphrates will be coordinated.

There is no doubt that the date for the declaration of the final decision of Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s long-range S-400 air defense systems coincided with the anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt: it signified a covert message to the instigators of the bloody coup attempt, NATO and the U.S. As a regional power in the Middle East, Turkey first wanted to purchase the Patriot systems as a NATO member because the instabilities in the region made it necessary to strengthen long-range air defense systems. However, due to the U.S.’s reluctance to provide the data and the software programs completely to Turkey, and the delay of the delivery process, the problems occurred in the technology transfer, and the credibility of the financial aspect of the deal led to Turkey favoring the S-400’s over the Patriots.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence saying, “While our NATO allies are threatening the harmony in this alliance by purchasing weapons from our enemies, we are not going to stand by and watch” actually reveals the U.S.’s secret agenda about Turkey. Why is the U.S. objecting to Turkey’s purchase of long-range air defense systems which is going to help it to protect itself? Why did you allow Greece to buy the S-300 systems from Russia as a NATO ally? All these tell us that we shouldn’t dismiss the possibility that the U.S. might target Turkey with NATO weapons and missiles by preventing it from establishing air defense systems. That is why Turkey is going to set up the S-400 defense systems despite the U.S. Furthermore, it is going to carry out a military operation against the PKK/YPG terrorist organization east of Euphrates despite the U.S. It hardly seems possible for the U.S. to intervene in the operations Turkey is going to carry out east of Euphrates River and Manbij with its strategy to destroy the terrorist organizations threatening its survival in their hotbeds.

Justice and Development (AK) Party Vice President Ali İhsan Yavuz declared that the Fetullah Terror Organization (FETÖ) intervened in the local elections in Istanbul. “We are of the opinion that various revelations will emerge on this subject. If you will, I want to ask a question that is going to start a debate. I wonder whether there are some people who were dismissed from their positions because of their relations to FETÖ. We have findings and information in this direction, but are still looking into it,” he said. President Erdoğan, on the other hand, said, “There are video records. We made official complaints about an ‘organized intervention.’ There is no need to get pumped up about any victory. We have detected organized crime.” It seems that while Turkey is being surrounded from the outside, FETÖ terrorist are trying to stage a coup against the people’s will by means of the ballot boxes.