Turkey says purchase of Russian S-400 missile system ‘a done deal’

Turkey says the purchase of the advanced Russian-built S-400 air defense missile system is a “done deal,” despite strong opposition from the United States, a NATO ally, and its efforts to persuade Ankara to buy the US Patriot missile systems instead.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made the comment in an interview with the CNN Turk channel on Tuesday, regardless of warnings Ankara have received from the US and NATO officials that the Russian system cannot be integrated into the military bloc’s air and missile system.

“There is no need to make any statements regarding S-400, this is a done deal. Turkey will never backtrack on its earlier promises. What others say does not concern us,” Turkey’s top diplomat said.

Moscow and Ankara finalized an agreement on the delivery of the S-400 missile systems in December 2017. Back in April last year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in Ankara that they had agreed to expedite the delivery of S-400 missile systems. At the time it was said that the delivery could be made between late 2019 and early 2020.

PressTV-‘Turkey would not let US inspect Russian S-400s’

An unnamed source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Ankara would not provide the United States with the opportunity to study Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.

Earlier, Erdogan had stressed that his country “has a right to use different air defense systems” and that other parties have no right whatsoever to criticize Ankara for its military purchases.

The Turkish leader, as cited by Russian news agency, TASS, also said that his country expected first deliveries of the S-400 missile systems in July.

The deal has drawn concerns among some of Turkey’s NATO allies, particularly the US, who claim the missile batteries are not compatible with those of the military alliance and that the purchase could jeopardize Ankara's acquisition of American Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets and possibly result in US sanctions.

The S-400 system, whose full name is the Triumph Mobile Multiple Anti-Aircraft Missile System (AAMS), is an advanced Russian missile system designed to detect, track, and destroy planes, drones, or missiles as far as 402 kilometers away. It has previously been sold only to China and India.

PressTV-‘Russia to fulfill S-400 sale to Turkey despite Patriot deal’

The Kremlin says Russia is pressing ahead with a contract to deliver advanced S-400 missile air defense systems to Turkey despite possible sale of US Patriot missile systems to Ankara.

The Anatolian country is striving to strengthen its air defense, particularly after Washington decided in 2015 to withdraw its Patriot surface-to-air missile system from Turkey's border with Syria, a move that weakened Turkey’s air defense.

Nevertheless, the US State Department in December last year approved a possible $3.5 billion sale of Patriot missile systems to Turkey, after notifying Congress of the certification.

Before gravitating towards Russia, the Turkish military reportedly walked out of a $3.4 billion contract for a similar Chinese system. The withdrawal took place under purported pressure from Washington.

Ankara’s ties with its Western allies in NATO have been strained over a range of issues. Erdogan has been critical of Washington for supporting Kurdish groups in Syria that he says are responsible for terror attacks inside Turkey. 

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