Turkey now eyes Russia’s S-500 missile system

Speaking at a televised question and answer session with university students in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan stressed that Turkey’s purchase of Russia's S-400 system was “a done deal” and that Ankara was absolutely not “stepping back on the S-400 issue” under US threats.

Turkey has signed a 2.5-billion-dollar deal with Russia for the purchase of S-400 system. That contract is severely opposed by the US, which has tied the implementation of a contract of its own with Turkey — for the sale of 30 American F-35 stealth fighter jets — to the cancellation of the deal with Russia.

Washington has also gone as far as to warn Ankara that it could lose its NATO membership.

Last month, the Pentagon halted the delivery of equipment related to the



F-35 to Turkey.

Erdogan, however, said that Turkey would “sooner or later” get the F-35s despite the US delay in the process.

The US has claimed that the Russian defense system is not interoperable with NATO equipment.

But President Erdogan said Turkey had conducted technical studies on the compatibility of the S-400s and the F-35s and had found no issues of concern as expressed by the US.

Recently, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey would look elsewhere for an alternative to the F-35 if the US blocked the delivery of its advanced stealth warplanes to Ankara.

The remark by President Erdogan about a potential purchase of the S-500 is certain to stir the dispute with the US.