Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkey has not postponed the purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system at the US request, Trend reports referring to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on May 31.
According to the Ministry, the information that after the US required Turkey not to purchase the Russian S-400 air defense system, Turkey has allegedly postponed the purchase, is false.
Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that specialists from the US and NATO could visit Turkey to make sure that 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," 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 impossible to launch the F-35 in the space where the S-400 is operated,” he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey may receive the S-400 missile systems earlier than scheduled.
“Turkey expects to receive the first supplies of S-400 missile systems in July 2019,” the president added.
He stressed that despite appeals from the US, Turkey will not abandon the purchase of the S-400.
Initial reports of negotiations between Russia and Turkey on the supply of S-400 appeared 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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