Russian S-400s Will be Delivered to Turkey Next Month - Erdogan

18:41 GMT, 12 June 2019

Earlier in June, acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan formally informed Turkey that it would not be allowed to receive the US F-35 fighter jets it had already purchased if it went ahead with the S-400 air defence systems deal.

Sputnik

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday that the Russian S-400 air defence systems will be delivered to Turkey in July.

The Turkish leader emphasised that Ankara has already purchased the weapons from Moscow.

Russia Will Comply With All Requirements for S-400 Deal With Turkey - Moscow

11 June 2019, 11:50 GMT

Erdogan's statement follows an earlier remark made by acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan that Ankara was notified about a potential ban on obtaining the F-35 fighter jets it had already purchased if it proceeded with the S-400 deal.

Russia and Turkey penned a $2.5-billion contract for the delivery of four battalion sets-worth of S-400s to Ankara in late 2017. Washington issued a counteroffer, offering Turkey a $3.5-billion contract for a contingent of Patriot PAC-3s. Turkish officials have indicated that negotiations on the Patriot proposal are continuing, but have stressed that Ankara would not cancel the S-400 deal for the US-made systems.

It was reported earlier that the first S-400s would reach Turkish soil in July; the air defence system acquisition will make Turkey the fourth country after Russia, Belarus and China to own the weapon.