Turkey buys Russian missiles, angers NATO ally US
Turkey has already purchased S-400 defence systems from Russia and hopes they will be delivered in July, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says, an announcement likely to ratchet up tensions with NATO ally Washington.
The US says Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision to buy a Russian missile defence system could result in sanctions. Photo: supplied
Turkey and the United States have sparred publicly for months over Ankara’s order for the S-400s, which are not compatible with NATO’s systems.
“Turkey has already bought S-400 defence systems. It is a done deal. I hope these systems will be delivered to our country next month,” Erdogan said.
US acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan outlined last week how Turkey would be pulled out of the F-35 fighter jet program unless Ankara changed course from its plans to purchase the S-400 missile defence system.
Turkey has criticised the letter from Washington and said it did not live up to the spirit of the NATO alliance.
It is working on a response to be sent in the coming days, according to Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar.
The United States says Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian system poses a threat to Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35 stealth fighters, and has warned of potential US sanctions if Ankara presses on with the deal.
Speaking at a meeting of his AK Party members, Erdogan said:
“We will call to account in every platform Turkey being excluded from the F-35 program for reasons without rationale or legitimacy.”
He noted that Turkey was also a manufacturing partner in the program.
Turkey has repeatedly proposed a joint working group to assess the impact of the S-400 surface-to-air defence systems, but Washington has not yet taken up the suggestion.
Erdogan also said he wanted to talk about the issue on the phone with the United States, before he meets President Donald Trump in Osaka, Japan, at the end of this month.
Russia said on Tuesday it planned to deliver its S-400s to Turkey in July, setting the clock ticking on the US sanctions threat.
-AAP
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