Nurettin Canikli

A new "structured infiltration" of the Turkish military by 3,000 suspected members of the movement of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen has been exposed, Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said on April 18.

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli told this to 24TV on Wednesday, TASS is reporting.

"If an attack occurs against the forces (in Syria) backed by Russia or there is an attack by the US-supported forces, Russia won't be able to stay away, otherwise it will lose its influence. So, serious clashes may start," he said.

Turkey will be able to purchase S-400 missile systems from Russia and F-35 fighter aircraft from the United States, the country's Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said Tuesday.

Qatari Deputy Emir Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani met with Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli on March 12 in Qatar’s capital Doha, according to Qatar’s official QNA news agency.

National Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli on March 7 said a domestically produced protection system would be used for tanks in Turkey’s ongoing “Operation Olive Branch.”

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli met on Feb. 14 his U.S. counterpart James Mattis in Brussels, at a time of heightened tension between Ankara and Washington over the situation in northern Syria.

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli is set to meet with his U.S. counterpart Jim Mattis at 8:00 p.m. (UTC+03:00) during the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting scheduled to take place in Brussels on Feb. 14, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Turkey’s Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli on Feb. 13 attended a ministerial meeting in Rome of the global coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Some weapons belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) went missing during the July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey and are now being searched for, Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli has said.

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Feb. 9 he will meet with his Turkish counterpart Nurettin Canikli in Brussels next week amid U.S. concern over Turkey’s plans to launch a military operation in Manbij, Syria.