ANKARA, March 26. /TASS/. Ankara will not hand over to Kiev the S-400 air defense systems purchased from Russia, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday.
"The issue is not on the agenda, it is out of the question. As far as I know, Americans spoke about that, but it is ruled out. Does Turkey need more air defense systems? Of course, we do. We want to buy them from the United States or other allies. If we cannot do it, we need another source," the Milliyet daily reported citing Cavusoglu.
On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that claims that Ankara could supply Ukraine with its S-400 missile systems in exchange for sanctions on it being lifted are a ploy targeted against Ankara and aimed at stirring up problems for the country.
The Pentagon confirmed that the US are in talks with Ankara on sending S-400 to Kiev in exchange for Turkey's joining the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet program and the sanctions on it being lifted.