MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Russia and Turkey are continuing negotiations on the deliveries of S-400 long-range air defense missile systems, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
"I can say that the contacts and negotiations are continuing at the expert level in the context of this deal," the spokesman said in response to a question that Turkey might give up the purchase of S-400 systems, if the sides failed to reach an agreement on their joint production.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier that Turkey might give up the purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense missile systems, if no agreement was reached on their joint production.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in September that Ankara had inked a deal with Moscow on the purchase of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and had made an advance payment. This information was confirmed by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin who also said that "the issue of transferring the technology of the production of S-400 air defense missile systems to Turkey is not under discussion."
Russia’s S-400 Triumf is the latest long-range antiaircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground objectives.
The S-400 can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km.
Russian Aerospace Force Deputy Commander-in-Chief Viktor Gumyonny said in April that missiles capable of destroying targets in outer space had started arriving for the S-400 systems.