Turkey could buy more Russian missiles despite US warnings
ABC News
Turkey’s president has said he would consider buying a second Russian missile system in defiance of strong objections by the United States
ISTANBUL -- Turkey’s president has said he would consider buying a second Russian missile system in defiance of strong objections by the United States.
In an interview with American broadcaster CBS News, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would have to decide its defense systems on its own.
Speaking to correspondent Margaret Brennan in New York this past week, Erdogan explained that Turkey wasn't given the option to buy American-made Patriot missiles and the U.S. hadn't delivered F-35 stealth jets despite a payment of $1.4 billion. Erdogan's comments came in excerpts released in advance of the full interview being broadcast Sunday.
NATO member Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 program and defense officials were sanctioned after it bought the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. The U.S. strongly objects to the use of Russian systems within NATO and says it poses a threat to the F-35s. Turkey maintains the S-400s could be used independently without being integrated into NATO systems and therefore pose no risk.
