No new agreements between Turkey, Russia on S-400 system: Official
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A Turkish official denies new agreements between Turkey and Russia on the Russian S-400 missile system.
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The Russian S-400 system
A Turkish defense official said the original contract that Turkey signed with Russia for the purchase of S-400 systems included two regiments, pointing out that there were no new agreements following reports of a deal for the sale of a second batch.
The defense official said that "the purchase of a second batch was included in the original plan and the related contract."
"The process is ongoing and there are no new agreements," the Turkish official noted.
Earlier, TASS quoted the head of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Dmitry Shugayev, as saying that a contract has been signed to deliver a second regiment of the S-400 missile system to Turkey.
"A corresponding agreement has already been signed. Among other things, it will allow for the production of some components of the [S-400 Triumf] system to be localized," Shugayev pointed out.
In December 2017, Turkey and Russia signed the first accord on deliveries of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries, reportedly worth around $2.5 billion. Ankara received the first deliveries in July 2019.
The deal angered the United States, which imposed sanctions on Turkey's defense industry in December 2020 and expelled Turkey from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program, where it was a manufacturer and buyer, a move which Ankara says was unjust.
It is noteworthy that Turkey has not joined Western countries in imposing anti-Russian sanctions.
Last month, Ankara had a crucial role in mediating an agreement to enable the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea.
US State Department not aware of new S-400 deal between Russia, Turkey
The State Department is not aware of any new developments for Russia to provide Turkey with additional S-400 air defense systems, but the United States' position on the arms sale is well known, spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday.
"We're not aware of any new developments on this matter, our position on Turkey's purchase of the S-400 is well known," Price said during a press briefing.
