“We needed air defense systems, we asked the United States, France and were refused. We wanted to buy systems from the allies, but they did not sell. So we went to others. And this is not a political issue or political choice, ”TASS quoted him as saying.
Earlier, Ismail Safi, a member of the Security and Foreign Policy Council of the Turkish Presidential Administration, said that the S-400 air defense systems purchased by Ankara would strengthen NATO’s defense capabilities.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed their intention to activate the air defense acquired from Russia, despite the threat of US sanctions.