Russian S-400 systems to be fully installed by spring of 2020

Duvar English

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said that the installation process of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems is expected be completed by the spring of 2020.

“When we say installation, we do not mean it in terms of location; these systems will installed; they will be tested. The training of the personnel is continuing and is expected to finalized by the end of December...And probably in the spring of 2020, this installation will take place and activities will start to run,” Akar told Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency in an interview released on Dec. 11.

Turkey and the United States, NATO allies, have been at odds over the S-400 purchase. Washington says the S-400s pose a threat to its F-35 fighter jets and cannot be integrated into NATO defenses. In response, it has suspended Turkey from the F-35 jet program, where it was a manufacturer and buyer.

'Turkey is in dialogue with NATO allies'

Akar said that Turkey is currently in contact with its NATO allies, particularly the U.S., to work out a solution to the issue. He added that Ankara will sustain its dialogues with all the relevant parties to find a solution to the problems caused in the wake of the S-400 purchase from Russia.

“We have said many times that the United States is our strategic partner and that we are expecting them to act in line with the spirit of strategic alliance. It is now out of the question for us to give up on this system. We need to discuss how we can find a solution when this system exists,” he said.

Akar later on Dec. 11 addressed the parliament during budget discussions, again commenting on the rift between Ankara and Washington over F-35 fighter jets and S-400 missile defense systems.

“If we are excluded from the F-35 project due to the purchase of the S-400, in a way that is unjust and contrary to the spirit of strategic alliance, we'll naturally have to embark on other quests to meet our [defense] needs,” Akar said.