Alwaght- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says his country wanted to get its air defense systems from US-led NATO member countries, but that it "could not get the necessary support from the US."
"The fact that we have entered defense cooperation with Russia does not downplay the importance of our obligations as a NATO member. We do not intend to abandon NATO. We only need such cooperation with Russia in order to eliminate the looming threats to Turkey," Yildirim was quoted as saying by Hurriyet daily.
He added that Turkey had no other choice because due to the lack of modern air defense systems, the Turkish Air Force failed to destroy 71 missiles earlier fired on Turkey from Syria. At least 29 people were killed in the strikes, according to Yildirim.
The Russia-Turkey talks on the delivery of the S-400 systems kicked off last year. On September 12, 2017, Moscow and Ankara announced that a deal had been signed.
Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli says the country has completed the process of purchasing Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and is in talks with a European consortium to help it develop its own missile defense system.
"It is finished; the S-400 missiles have been bought. The rest is just details now," the Turkish defense minister said in televised comments in the Black Sea town of Giresun on Sunday.
Despite opposition from its fellow NATO members and the threat of US sanctions, Ankara signed an agreement with Moscow on the delivery of the Russian S-400 advanced air defense system.
