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The opinion that Turkey may change its decision over the purchase of S-400 air defense missile systems from Russia at some point are not groundless, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of Armenia's National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Ruben Safrastyan told Panorama.am, pointing out that Turkey’s decision to obtain Russian anti-aircraft missiles is not only based on military reasons, but also contains an element of political blackmail.

“Buying weapons from Russia, Turkey is posturing to show that it is capable of going elsewhere besides NATO for its weapons and its alliances. Once again, the country shows it is sovereign in making own decisions and finding alternatives. The deal between Moscow and Ankara can be cancelled should certain messages from the U.S and NATO are at place,” the analyst suggested.
 
To note, NATO and U.S. officials have repeatedly warned Turkey about the consequences of purchasing the S-400, saying the system would not be interoperable with NATO weapons systems.

Asked whether the NATO is that naïve to succumb to Turkey’s blackmail, Safrastyan noted the matter is not about naivety but rather the geography of Turkey.

The expert said he believed the purchase would not affect Turkey's cooperation within NATO and its participation in the alliance's activities. “Turkey is of high importance for both the alliance and the U.S. Bearing this in mind, both the U.S. and NATO can turn a blind eye on Turkey’s actions, since the stakes are too high here,” concluded the analyst.