Turkey was forced to buy s-400 anti-aircraft systems from Russia because Western countries did not respond to its requests to buy the air defense system, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said at the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital.
According to him, Ankara was sending relevant requests to the United States and France since 1999 and, in the end, was forced to buy the system from Russia "to protect Turkey, because it was necessary."
At the same time, Akar stressed that Turkey remains a committed member of NATO and is not going to leave the Alliance and that talks over the purchase of the F-35 fighters from the US are continuing.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: EPA / VIRGINIA MAYO / POOL / TASS