Ankara has named a condition for the purchase of a second set of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems from Russia. The head of the secretariat of the Turkish defense industry Ismail Demir told about this, RIA Novosti reports.
According to him, the Turkish side is counting on the transfer of technology from Moscow. He also called the joint production of air defense systems with Russia an important detail. Otherwise, Demir noted, “the second set of S-400s would have arrived today.”
On December 14, Washington imposed sanctions against Ankara over the Russian S-400. Restrictive measures will affect the heads of the secretariat of the Turkish defense industry Ismail Demir, other employees of the department, as well as three more individuals associated with the deal between Ankara and Moscow.
Prior to that, Turkey paid off with Russia for the supply of S-400 air defense systems. The head of the state corporation “Rostec” Sergei Chemezov said that Ankara will have to decide on the supply of the second batch of S-400.
Deliveries of the S-400, which caused a crisis in relations between Turkey and the United States, began in mid-July 2019. Washington demanded to abandon the deal and purchase American Patriot systems in return, threatening to delay or even cancel the sale of fifth-generation F-35 fighters to Turkey.