The Turkish purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems is Ankara’s business as the systems will not become part of joint NATO defenses, the chief of the alliance says. The US, however, has repeatedly voiced discontent over Ankara’s move.
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The Turkish decision to buy the S-400 system from Moscow is a sovereign decision and does not harm the interests of NATO, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday, adding that he had already discussed the purchase with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“I spoke with President Erdogan when I met him in September. I said that the kind of capabilities different nations want to acquire is a national decision,” Stoltenberg said.
The systems, should they be delivered to Ankara, will likely be used solely for Turkey’s own needs and won’t become integrated into NATO’s joint defenses.
“There hasn’t been any request from Turkey to integrate the S-400 into the NATO air defense system,” the top official added.
