In a move certain to further anger the United States. Turkey is planning to buy more Russian S-400 missile defense systems. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his country’s intentions Sunday in an interview with CBS News’ Face the Nation program.
The United States objects to Turkey’s use of the missile defense system because it is a threat to the US F-35 fighter jets and to NATO defense systems. Turkey was kicked out of the US F-35 program after it took delivery at the end of last year of the Russian system. Turkey was not offered an opportunity to buy the American-made Patriot missile defense system, Erdogan said.
The US also put sanctions on Turkey after it purchased a first round of the S-400 systems.
Erdogan is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia on September 29.