Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
Specialists from the US and NATO can come to Turkey to make sure that the Russian S-400 air defense system does not pose a threat to NATO, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Trend reports referring to the Turkish media.
Cavusoglu noted that Turkey is in dire need of the S-400 air defense system.
"Although the US urges Turkey to abandon the purchase of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems, it does not guarantee that it will sell us Patriot air defense systems," he said.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said that the US believes that Turkey will not be able to have both American F-35 fighter-bombers and Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems at the same time, due to it, according to them, being “not possible” in technical terms.
“It is not possible to both fly the F-35 in space where the S-400 is significantly operable,” he said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey may receive the S-400 missile systems earlier than scheduled. According to him, it was expected earlier that Turkey would receive the first supplies of S-400 missile systems in July 2019.
He noted that despite appeals by the US, Turkey will not abandon the purchase of the S-400.
"This is an issue that has already been resolved for Turkey," said Erdogan.