Erdogan says Turkey won’t dispose of Russian S-400s

14 November 2019, 5:11 pm

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Turkey is willing to purchase US-made Patriot air defense systems but will not agree to dispose of the Russian S-400 system it has already bought, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says.

Speaking to reporters on board his plane on his way back from a meeting with Donald Trump in Washington, Erdogan says the US president is engaged in “sincere efforts” to resolve disputes between the NATO allies.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a joint press conference with the Hungarian prime minister in Budapest on November 7, 2019. (Attila Kisbenedek/AFP)

Turkey took delivery of the Russian S-400 system this year, dismissing warnings from the United States that it poses a threat to NATO security. As a result, Washington suspended Turkish participation in the multinational F-35 fighter jet program.

— AP