American journalists put forward their version of the reasons why Turkey needed the acquisition of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM), despite all attempts by the US authorities to dissuade Ankara from this purchase.
One of the reasons is the arrest of a large number of Turkish pilots of F-16 fighters, who were suspected of involvement in the coup attempt in the summer of 2016, which dealt a tangible blow to the country's Air Force, writes the National Interest.
According to him, then about 300 pilots were arrested, and there was practically no one to control American fighters in Turkey, and the United States refused to help and send its specialists to the country to train new personnel.
That is why, according to the author of the article, Ankara began to look for alternative possibilities for the defense of the Turkish airspace.
Recall, as the website kp.ru wrote, an attempted military coup in Turkey took place on the night of July 15-16, 2016. As a result of the clashes, 265 people were killed and about 1440 were injured. Several thousand participants in the coup and their supporters were arrested.
