Problematic Crete S-300 Model for S-400s Unlikely to Fly with Greece, NATO & US

S-400s & the S-300 Crete Model

• Local analyst says Turkish proposal for "Crete's S-300" model for S-400s is flawed on a number of accounts:
• Background: Cyprus purchased S-300s from Russia in the late 1990s. But in the face of strong Turkish objections, the missiles were moved to Greek territory on Crete. System is kept non-operational and have been tested once in the past decade
• Turkey aims for a similar agreement with S-400s: to remain in a non-fully operational state, and stored on non-Turkish, non-NATO territory in order to be invited back into the F-35 programme & lift CAATSA sanctions
• Firstly, there is no indication that the Biden administration is willing to accept the S-400 on Turkish soil even in an unactivated state. Meaning missiles would have to be moved outside of Turkey.
• However, there does not appear to be a mutually agreeable destination, especially given the more advanced S-400s pose a greater danger to Turkey's neighbours
• Neither Greece, nor the rest of Europe, is likely to tolerate the S-400s in Turkish-aligned Northern Cyprus (previous analysts have said this would be a clear sign of positioning for armed conflict with Greece)
• while the possible transfer of Turkish S-400s' to Libya is almost certainly a nonstarter for NATO high command