TASS, November 21. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu considers the purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to be a done deal that cannot be canceled.
"The current deal [purchase of Russian S-400 Triumf missile systems] is a done deal, I cannot cancel it," Reuters quoted Cavusoglu as saying after a meeting with his US counterpart Mike Pompeo.
The minister added that Ankara needs further defense procurement from its allies. "But I need more ... and I prefer to buy from my allies," he said.
On November 14, the Anadolu news agency reported with reference to a high-ranked source in Washington that the US suggests that the Russian S-400 missile systems purchased by Turkey pose a threat to the F-35 fighter jets, which is why the United States could impose sanctions against Ankara. According to the source, Russian systems are problematic from the viewpoint of integration into the NATO systems.
The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range ones, and surface targets. The S-400 systems can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km.