Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Ankara’s buying Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems will be the main topic of negotiations between the presidents of Turkey and the US - Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump, Trend reports April 25 with reference to the Turkish media.
The issue of US supporting the PYD/YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group, may also be put on the agenda of the talks of the presidents of the two countries.
Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that despite that the US promised it would not support PYD/YPG, Washington did not keep its word.
This is while Ibrahim Kalin, press secretary of the Turkish President, said that Ankara hopes that US President Donald Trump will visit Turkey.
He said that Ankara repeatedly stated its readiness to receive Trump and that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself invited the US President to visit the country. In his words, the administration of the US President also does not exclude Trump’s visit to Ankara in 2019.
Touching upon the issue of the procurement of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, Kalin said that the relevant decision by Ankara was made on the basis of national interests. Russian S-400s do not pose a threat to NATO, and the US knows it very well, he added.
On April 11, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that specialists from the US and NATO could come to Turkey to make sure that the Russian S-400 air defense systems do not pose a threat to NATO.
"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.
Initial reports of negotiations between Russia and Turkey on the supply of S-400 surfaced in November 2016. The signing of a contract was confirmed by the Russian side on September 12, 2017.
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