Turkey States It Will Not Abandon S-400 Systems Regardless of U.S. Position

Turkey is not planning to abandon the S-400 surface-to-air missile systems purchased from Russia. Ibrahim Kalın, the spokesperson for the Turkish president, announced this on Thursday, as reported by TASS.

“The decision regarding the S-400s was not made in an hour; we have informed our American partners about this. Our agreement regarding the S-400s was signed four months ago, ahead of CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). From a legal standpoint, the statements made by the U.S. are inconsistent. The American side has indicated that no negotiations will be conducted on this matter,” emphasized Erdoğan's representative.

At the same time, Kalın noted that Russia is an “important player,” and it is crucial for Ankara to build relations with it.