Erdogan: Turkey's position on Russian S-400 missile acquisition remains the same
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Friday that the country's position remains unchanged regarding its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defence systems, adding that talks with the United States on new F-16 jets and kits were proceeding smoothly.The United States sanctioned NATO member Turkey's defence industry in December 2020 over the S-400s and expelled Ankara from the F-35 stealth fighter jet programme, where it was a manufacturer and buyer. Turkey claims the move is unjust. Turkish broadcaster Haberturk reported that Erdogan told reporters on his way back to Turkey from a NATO summit in Brussels that he hoped that discussions with Washington on buying new F-16 jets and modernization kits would be fruitful soon.During the summit, Erdogan also discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi the possibility of purchasing SAMP-T missile defence systems from the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium. From the moment the first delivery of the Russian-built surface-to-air missile batteries arrived in July 2019, Washington has been asking Ankara to dispose of them.The system is seen by Washington as a threat to the F-35 aircraft, leading to the exclusion of Turkey from the cutting-edge program.Even though Turkey has delivered combat drones to its ally Ukraine, it also wants to maintain good relations with Russia, which it relies on heavily for tourism and energy supplies.