Does Erdogan's Turkey really need long-range missiles?

Does Erdogan's Turkey really need long-range missiles?(AM).By Burak Bekdil.

In late 2011, likely to the pride of millions of Turks, the state scientific research institute, TUBITAK, announced that its scientists would soon finish a missile with a range of 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) and in 2014 another with a range of 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles). Another missile with an 800-kilometer range was ready for precision tests.

Professor Yucel Altinbasak, head of TUBITAK, said the order for the missile program had come from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “This is a most realistic project,” he said. An engineer from the institute’s missile project group told state television TRT, “Turkish missiles [are] more advanced than US or German missiles.” Turkey's efforts toward offensive missile capabilities come at a time when the country is also trying to construct its first long-range air and anti-missile defense architecture.

This is a curious program, not only in terms of military technology but also in regard to international politics and security. With Turkey as the epicenter of a radius of 2,500 kilometers, some of the cities that could in theory experience Turkish missiles overhead include Algiers, Amman, Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Cairo, Copenhagen, Damascus, Geneva, Jeddah, Kiev, London, Milan, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Tehran, Tel Aviv, Tripoli, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich. Which of these cities stand to be a future security threat to Turkey?

Officials say the 800-kilometer missile will primarily target naval and aircraft shelter targets. Which naval and aircraft targets 800 kilometers away? They do not know. Politicians should answer this question, but for now defense officials are proud that TUBITAK’s missile scientists are working day and night to produce missiles that can be deployed, on naval and ground assets as well as aerial assets. One expert explained that in theory all this ambitious work aims “to maximize the Turkish military’s firepower.” That’s for sure, but why missiles with such a long range? Who are the potential enemies? Can Turkey attain such a long-range capability?.....(MFS: Does Hamas need missiles?)

“Theoretically, yes,” according to one missile scientist. “But practicality in this trade is always a different story for beginners like Turkey, especially due to strict international controls over proliferation.” Turkey is a signatory to the Missile Technology Control Regime, and thus it may now find it more difficult to access some of the “ingredients” necessary to make a missile. (IRAN).But can Turkey, really attain long-range missile capabilities? The scientist, with a sarcastic smile on his face, preferred not to respond further.

Turkey’s Western allies, however, worry that the Turks may be intending to use their own launching pad to fire the long-range missiles they hope to build. Whatever their intentions for the missile program could be, several expected and unexpected challenges on a global scale will likely be awaiting the neo-Ottoman army over any missile firepower it intends to possess. Hmmmm............Erdogan, Obama's BFF. Read the full story here.

As Carl in Jerusalem said in 2013:

For the moment, New York, Beijing, Seoul, Brasilia, Ottawa and Tokyo look safe and immune to future Turkish anger. But give Mr. Erdoğan another 10 years in power and Turkey might have another one with a range of 15,000 km by then.

There are a couple of minor problems, though. Since Turkey is a signatory to the Missile Technology Control Regime, it may now find more difficult access to some of the “ingredients” necessary to make a missile.

Second, I am not sure whether the punishing Turkish missile should be dubbed the Attila, or the Sultan Mehmed II. Third, and on a less significant basis, one triviality about the future Turkish ballistic missile could be that once shot and targeting, say, Tel Aviv, it may just be last seen over the skies of Edirne…