Türkiye leaves open the possibility of buying Patriot missiles but still purchases S-400s from Russia.
Türkiye is ready to consider the US proposal for Patriot air defense missile systems but will not accept the refusal to purchase Russia's S-400 air defense system, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated.
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| Russia's S-400 air defense system. Photo: Sputnik |
"In the future, Türkiye may purchase the Patriot system, but we are not considering this possibility if the United States imposes the condition that Turkey must refuse to purchase the S-400," he stated on NTV channel.
Earlier, the Anadolu news agency reported that a US delegation had proposed to Türkiye the sale of the Patriot air defense system. This system includes four AN/MPQ-65 radar stations, 10 antenna arrays, 20 M903 launchers, testing equipment, and other components.
Previously, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported that the U.S. State Department had approved a potential agreement with Türkiye to sell Patriot missile defense systems for a total of $3.5 billion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that the sale of US missile defense systems to Türkiye and the transfer of Russian S-400 systems are not related processes, and that the implementation of the contract with Russia will continue.
