ANKARA, Turkey, May 20 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said, Turkey and Russia would discuss the joint production of S-500 defence systems, after the S-400 deliveries, local media reported Sunday.
“The S-400 deal is completed. The deliveries are to begin in July or maybe earlier. After that, we will talk about the S-500, including joint production,” Erdogan said in Istanbul.
“There is absolutely no question of stepping back on the S-400 issue. It is a done deal,” the Turkish president was quoted as saying.
“Sooner or later, we will receive the delivery of the F-35’s, and S-400’s will come to our country too,” he said.
Turkey’s S-400 deal has further strained its already tense relations with the United States, which has repeatedly warned Ankara of the risks, including sanctions.
Washington threatens to suspend the delivery of the F-35 fighter jets to Ankara, despite its partnership in the consortium, and slap additional sanctions, if Turkey continues ahead with the purchase of the S-400’s.
In Dec, 2017, Moscow and Ankara signed a loan agreement for the delivery of the S-400 systems. NATO and the United States expressed security concerns, saying that S-400’s are incompatible with NATO’s air defence systems.– NNN-ANADOLU
