Turkey to Tell Pompeo, Bolton Purchase of Russian S-400 'Done Deal' - FM

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Washington had halted its delivery of F-35 fighter jet parts to Ankara due to plans of the latter to purchase Russian S-400 air defence systems.
Sputnik

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will reportedly tell US Security Adviser John Bolton and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that its purchase of Russian S-400 air defence system is "definitely a done deal."

READ MORE: Pentagon Head Says Turkey Needs to Buy Patriots as Spat Over S-400 Continues

At the same time, the senior official said that Turkey had proposed the United States that they form a technical working group to determine that the defence systems do not pose a threat to US or NATO military equipment.

"It will not be integrated into the NATO system… therefore we propose the United States to establish a technical working group to make sure that this system will not be a threat — neither to (U.S.) F-35s nor the NATO systems," Cavusoglu told a panel in the United States.

NATO Envoy Explains Why US Concerned by S-400 Proximity to F-35 in Turkey
Russia and Turkey signed a loan agreement for the supply of S-400 air defence systems in 2017. In early March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed that the deal with Russia on deliveries of the S-400 air defence systems was completed, and said a new deal on purchases of advanced Russian-made S-500 systems could be possible in future.

A State Department official told Sputnik on Monday that the US government warned Ankara that it could face even more consequences including sanctions for purchasing Russian S-400 systems.

Discuss