Erdogan Dissatisfied With U.S. Reluctance to Jointly Produce Patriot Systems
ANKARA (Dispatches) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has noted that the United States cannot fulfill Ankara's two basic conditions for acquiring Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, of providing credit and joint production.
"Joint production, providing a loan and early delivery are criteria that we attach importance to. Although they [the United States] are positive for early delivery, they can’t promise to provide credit and joint production", Erdogan told reporters, as quoted by the Hurriyet Daily News media outlet.
The Turkish president also reaffirmed his country's commitment to purchase Russian-made S-400 Triumph (NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler) air defense systems.
"We have made the S-400 deal with Russia. Therefore, a step back is out of the question. This is over… We are working for the deployment of S-400s in July as promised", the Turkish president noted.
Erdogan was quoted by Turkish broadcaster NTV on Saturday as saying that there was no turning back on the S-400 deal with Russia, and that Turkey was also interested in purchasing US Patriot missiles as long as Ankara's interests were served.
"We have made the S-400 deal with Russia, so it is out of question to take a step back. The job is done. When it comes to the Patriots, we are open to buying them. However, this purchase needs to serve the interests of our country," Erdogan told journalists on the way back from a trilateral summit in the Russian city of Sochi, where he met his Russian and Iranian counterparts to discuss developments in Syria.
"We are continuing our work based on the deal that the S-400s will be delivered in July," the Turkish president added.
Moscow and Ankara reached a final agreement on the delivery of the S-400 missile systems in December 2017.
Turkey, which is a NATO country, has on several occasions stated that it is committed to buying the Russian missile defense system, despite concerns among members of the U.S.-led military alliance that the S-400s cannot be integrated into the NATO air defense system.
Washington had set an informal deadline of February 15 for Ankara to respond to the rival US offer, warning to withdraw its offer to sell a $3.5 billion Raytheon Co Patriot missile package if Turkey proceeded with the S-400 purchase.
U.S. officials also announced that the deal would jeopardize Turkey’s purchase of Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets and possibly result in the United States imposing sanctions.
"Joint production, providing a loan and early delivery are criteria that we attach importance to. Although they [the United States] are positive for early delivery, they can’t promise to provide credit and joint production", Erdogan told reporters, as quoted by the Hurriyet Daily News media outlet.
The Turkish president also reaffirmed his country's commitment to purchase Russian-made S-400 Triumph (NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler) air defense systems.
"We have made the S-400 deal with Russia. Therefore, a step back is out of the question. This is over… We are working for the deployment of S-400s in July as promised", the Turkish president noted.
Erdogan was quoted by Turkish broadcaster NTV on Saturday as saying that there was no turning back on the S-400 deal with Russia, and that Turkey was also interested in purchasing US Patriot missiles as long as Ankara's interests were served.
"We have made the S-400 deal with Russia, so it is out of question to take a step back. The job is done. When it comes to the Patriots, we are open to buying them. However, this purchase needs to serve the interests of our country," Erdogan told journalists on the way back from a trilateral summit in the Russian city of Sochi, where he met his Russian and Iranian counterparts to discuss developments in Syria.
"We are continuing our work based on the deal that the S-400s will be delivered in July," the Turkish president added.
Moscow and Ankara reached a final agreement on the delivery of the S-400 missile systems in December 2017.
Turkey, which is a NATO country, has on several occasions stated that it is committed to buying the Russian missile defense system, despite concerns among members of the U.S.-led military alliance that the S-400s cannot be integrated into the NATO air defense system.
Washington had set an informal deadline of February 15 for Ankara to respond to the rival US offer, warning to withdraw its offer to sell a $3.5 billion Raytheon Co Patriot missile package if Turkey proceeded with the S-400 purchase.
U.S. officials also announced that the deal would jeopardize Turkey’s purchase of Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets and possibly result in the United States imposing sanctions.