S-400 Air Defense Systems To Operate In Turkey In April Or May - Defense Minister

Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems will be put in operation in Turkey in April or May, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th January, 2020) Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems will be put in operation in Turkey in April or May, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday.

"Training of personnel, who will work on the S-400 systems, and their installation is underway as planned. They will be fully operational in April or May," Akar told reporters, as quoted by the Turkiye newspaper.

Deliveries of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems to Turkey, which have caused a crisis in Washington-Ankara relations, started in July 2019.

The United States has demanded that Turkey cancel all purchases of the Russian-made systems, saying that it expected Ankara to purchase US-made Patriot missile defense systems and threatening to delay or cancel any deliveries of F-35 fighter jets. Turkey has refused to make concessions.