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Baku, Azerbaijan, April 30
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
The US doesn’t realize where ignoring Turkey may lead to, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish media.
Erdogan made the remarks during the opening of the IDEF 2019, the 14th International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul.
He noted that the US unilaterally and, without taking into account the needs of Ankara, intend to exert political pressure on Turkey on the issue of purchasing Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.
Erdogan noted that at the time when Ankara asked its NATO allies to sell them anti-aircraft missiles, they turned away from Turkey.
On April 29, it was reported that Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems will be delivered to Turkey in two cargoes.
The first cargo of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems will be delivered in June this year, and the second one in July, according to the report. It is expected that in November 2019, the first F-35 fighters will be delivered to Turkey.
As was announced earlier, Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems may be installed in the south and west of Turkey. According to preliminary reports, they may be installed in western Turkey and the provinces bordering the Aegean Sea as well as in the province of Hatay on the border with Syria.
On April 11, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that specialists from the US and NATO could come to Turkey to make sure that Russian S-400 air defense systems do not pose a threat to NATO. He 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," Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated that the US believes that Turkey would not be able to have both US F-35 fighter-bombers and Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems at the same time, as this is technically impossible. “According to Pentagon sources, it is not possible to launch the F-35 in the space where the S-400 is operated,” 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. Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the S-400 air defense systems would be deployed from October 2019. The supply of the S-400 air defense systems to Ankara cost $2.5 billion, head of the Rostec state corporation Sergey Chemezov said in December 2017. Turkey is the first country, a NATO member to receive the S-400 air defense systems from Russia.
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