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Erdogan reiterates Turkey has no plans to renege on S-400 purchase, says newspaper

"We are working to make sure that S-400 systems are supplied in July as we were promised," the Turkish leader said

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan EPA-EFE/SERGEI CHIRIKOV/POOL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

© EPA-EFE/SERGEI CHIRIKOV/POOL

ANKARA, February 16. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated that Ankara has no plans to renege on the purchase of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russai despite the US pressure, according to Hurriyet Daily News.

"We have entered into an agreement with Russia on S-400. We have no intention to abandon it. We are working to make sure that S-400 systems are supplied in July as we were promised," the Turkish leader was quoted as saying after the trilateral summit on Syria in Sochi.

The news about the Russian-Turkish talks on the purchase of S-400 systems first came in November 2016. The Russian side confirmed that the contract had been signed on September 12, 2017. Concurrently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara had made an advance payment. Turkey is going to become the first NATO member-state to purchase an air defense weapon of this class from Russia.

Middle East conflict

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Israeli military vows to keep Syrian-made weapons out of Hezbollah’s hands by any means

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All weapons pledged by Biden to Kiev to be delivered before he leaves office — Pentagon

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Russian troops storm into Kupyansk outskirts in Kharkov Region — military expert

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Biden to discuss support to Kiev with EU colleagues before Trump’s inauguration

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Kremlin comments on possible return of Japanese, European cars to Russia

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Ukraine aims to call up 1 mln people in eastern areas by end of 2024 — official

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Hezbollah reports attack on Israeli military intelligence base near Tel Aviv

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Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

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Israeli anthem booed before start of football match in Paris

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Most Russians say special op doesn't bleed into their daily life

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Trump to rely on forces that brought him to power — Russian presidential aide

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Zelensky's new plan for Ukraine is just another effort to stay in media spotlight

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Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev did not rule out the possibility that the incident was the result of sabotage

Football fans clash during France vs Israel football match in Paris

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US views Russia as present-day threat, Trump may prioritize containing China — Lavrov

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Trump plans to appoint special envoy on Ukraine to hold peace talks with Russia — TV

According to the source, the job is not expected to be a salaried role

Security Service of Ukraine operated ‘concentration camp’ in Kiev in 2022, lawmaker says

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Members of Abkhazian opposition throw stones, sticks at law enforcement officials

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Hundreds of people participate in protest rally near Abkhazian parliament

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At the same time, the president noted that once upon a time "Vladimir Lenin gave away the whole of Ukraine when he created the Soviet Union"

Israeli practices ‘consistent with characteristics of genocide’ — UN committee

The document points out that 'civilians have been indiscriminately and disproportionally killed en masse in Gaza'

Trump suggests Kennedy Jr. as US secretary of health and human services

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Russian air defenses destroy 51 Ukrainian drones overnight

Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said two municipalities in the region - the town of Krymsk and the Krasnoarmeisky district - came under attack

Trump does not rule out he may run in next US presidential election

Trump's participation in the next US election would be against the Constitution

Israeli strike on southern Lebanese village leaves at least six dead

Four of the victims were rescue workers

US denies possession of extraterrestrial technologies

According to Sue Gough, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, an office at the US Department of Defense that investigates unidentified anomalous phenomena, "is continuing its review of the historical record of US government UAP programs"

Press review: Switzerland open to hosting Putin-Trump talks as NATO and EU back Ukraine

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, November 15th

Gagauzian public figure sees possibility of early parliamentary polls in Moldova

Mihail Vlah told TASS in an interview that the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity 'has started urgent preparations'

White House official sees possibility of DPRK nuclear test soon

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that transition periods in the US 'have historically been time periods when the DPRK has taken provocative actions'

Clear Zelensky won't be the one to decide about talks with Russia, says Lavrov

"Russian President Putin has repeatedly said that we have never refused to negotiate," the Russian foreign minister reiterated

54 countries vote against resolution on combating ne-Nazism

116 countries, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Serbia, and Syria, supported the document

Authorities of southeastern Ukrainian region report ‘infrastructure damage’

In addition, a power transmission line was reportedly damaged in the Dnepropetrovsk Region

Ukraine's Kurakhovo Reservoir dam blast to help, not hurt Russian troops — expert

At least ten Ukrainian troops were killed

Trump to fundamentally rethink US policy on Ukraine conflict, says Iranian expert

Serious differences of opinion may arise between Washington and other NATO members regarding support for the Kiev regime, Mehdi Seif Tabrizi noted

Russian Rubicon drones strike Ukrainian trench shelters

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Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Russian forces capture 10 km of LPR border — military expert

On October 16, Andrey Marochko informed TASS that Ukrainian forces were still operating near three key towns in the LPR’s west: Svatovo, Kremennaya, and Lisichansk

Trump to nominate North Dakota governor Burgum as interior secretary

The official announcement will be made on Friday

Ukrainian intel officers in Syria to be eliminated as terrorists’ accomplices — diplomat

According to Alexander Lavrentyev, there are "in fact Russian troops stationed" in Syria

Su-57 fighter jet shows exceptional performance in Russia’s special op, senior official

A Su-57 multirole fifth-generation fighter jet (NATO codename Felon) was designed to eliminate all air, ground, and water surface targets

Swedish minister in charge of gender equality suffers from bananaphobia

The phobia is so strong that special precautions need to be taken before her meetings

Most Ukrainian soldiers drafted against their will, from rural areas

According to Miroslav Borisenko, there are "almost no" residents of major cities among the forcibly mobilized, although in 2022 the "social composition was entirely different" in the Ukrainian armed forces

Colombia would like to join BRICS — foreign minister

The top Colombian diplomat went on to say that his country has been following the BRICS expansion and activities carefully

Ukraine not holding talks on gas transit from Russia after December 31 — Energy Ministry

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Crimean amateur astronomer discovers new comet in solar system

In April, the astronomer said that he had discovered a large asteroid with a diameter of about 200 meters, potentially dangerous for the Earth

Ukrainian battlegroup deprived of regular supplies in Kurakhovo in Donetsk area — expert

The Ukrainian battlegroup’s supplies have been impaired in the Kurakhovo area after Russian forces placed a road section west of that community under their gunfire control, Andrey Marochko clarified

Trump to pursue dialogue with Tehran before escalating pressure, says Iranian expert

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Violence against Kupyansk residents refusing to evacuate reported in Kharkov Region

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South Korea to support Ukraine in response to Russia-North Korea alliance — president

As Yoon Suk Yeol said, the reported dispatch of North Korean servicemen to participate in Russia’s special military operation "poses a serious security threat not only to the Korean Peninsula and Europe but also to the entire world"

IN BRIEF: What is known about drone attack on Russia’s Krasnodar Region

Damage will be assessed, and local authorities will provide assistance with restoring the damaged buildings

Scholz promises to transfer sixth IRIS-T system to Kiev by yearend

Ukraine and Germany also discussed further defense cooperation

Russia's newest Su-57 fighter jet superior to China's new J-35 — test pilot

Sergey Bogdan emphasized that the newest Russian fighter was a "magnificent platform for a future generation of configurations, just as the Su-27 aircraft in its heyday"