Turkey rejects US proposal to deliver S-400 to Ukraine
Turkey says Ankara has rejected Washington's proposal to send the Russian-made S-400 air defense missile system to Ukraine.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made the remarks during an interview with the Habertürk newspaper on Sunday, noting that the proposals by Washington were unacceptable as they sought to infringe on Turkish sovereignty.
“They made proposals that directly concern our sovereignty, such as give us control of this, give it to another place. Where is our independence and sovereignty?” he said.
"The US asked us to send the S-400s to Ukraine, and we said no," he added.
This comes as the Pentagon has reportedly had long talks with Ankara on sending S-400 to Kiev in exchange for Turkey’s joining the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet program and the sanctions on it being lifted.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already said that claims that Turkey could supply Ukraine with its S-400 missile systems in exchange for sanctions on it being lifted are a ploy against Ankara to stir up problems for the country.
Moscow and Ankara signed an agreement in 2017 to deliver the S-400 to Turkey, making it the first NATO member to purchase the air defense missile system from Russia.
The United States, which has imposed sanctions on Turkey’s defense industry over the missile purchase, had urged Ankara not to go ahead with the delivery of the missiles.
Ankara had formerly purchased America’s F-35 jets, but in retaliation for Turkey’s S-400 purchase, the administration of former US President Donald Trump halted its delivery of the jets.
The United States and Russia have long been at loggerheads over Ankara’s purchase of the missile system.
Washington says the Russian S-400 system is a danger if activated in the same country that flies F-35 jets.
It claims the S-400 would collect detailed information about the F-35s, possibly erasing their stealth advantages.
Turkey received the first batch of S-400s in July 2019, despite Washington's warnings and threats of sanctions.
The White House said at the time that it was no longer possible for Turkey to be involved in the program for the F-35 stealth jets after parts of S-400 began arriving in Ankara.
It also said it would impose sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
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