Turkey's Erdogan Says Canceling S-400 Missile Deal To Buy US Patriots Out Of Question

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th December, 2019) Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the deal with Russia to buy S-400 surface-to-air missiles would not be nixed for the sake of US Patriot systems.

"We cannot abandon S-400s to buy Patriots. That chapter is closed. But if the US makes a reasonable offer, we will buy their systems too.

Because we want to diversify our air defenses," he told Turkish news channel TRT.

The United States started phasing Turkey out of their joint program to build advanced F-35 fighter jets after Ankara received the first batch of S-400 components.

Washington threatens it will not sell jets to Ankara for fear the stealthy technology could be compromised by the proximity of Russian technicians servicing the S-400, which the Pentagon also claims is incompatible with NATO defenses.