Turkey's position on the S-400 surface-to-air missile systems (SAMs) purchased from Russia has remained unchanged, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday at a press conference following talks in Brussels with US President Joe Biden and at the end of the NATO summit.
"Of course, it is impossible that the issue of S-400 is not on our agenda [in talks with Biden]. With regard to S-400, I expressed the same view that we held earlier. I also informed about the steps we can take together regarding the defense industry," the Turkish leader stressed.
According to Erdogan, he said the same thing about the situation with the US F-35 fifth-generation fighter-bombers.
Russia and Turkey signed a contract in 2017 for Moscow to supply Ankara with S-400 complexes. Turkey was the first NATO country to buy these systems from Russia. Ankara's decision caused a sharp negative reaction from Washington and the alliance as a whole. The United States keeps trying to get Turkey to give up its Russian SAM systems. Earlier Washington excluded Ankara from the US F-35 production program. Last October, Erdogan said that Ankara did not intend to give up the S-400, despite the pressure from Washington. He also rejected threats of sanctions and suggested that the US try to actually impose them.
No unsolvable problems
Erdogan believes that Ankara and Washington have no unsolvable problems and should actively use dialogue.
"We had constructive and detailed talks. We have agreed to actively use channels for dialogue. I think we have no unsolvable problems with the United States," he said.
Erdogan added that he saw from Biden's side the same "determination to develop bilateral relations" on mutual grounds as Turkey.
In addition, the Turkish president said he invited his American counterpart to visit the republic. "He [Biden] said he would appreciate the invitation as part of his program," Erdogan added.
Erdogan and Biden had their first meeting on Monday in Brussels on the sidelines of the NATO summit. It lasted about 50 minutes and was closed to the media. Turkish media described the talks between the two presidents as historic and crucial.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS