Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said Turkey expects deliverance of the first S-400 missile system from Russia in 2019, giving a glimpse into the details of the deal in an address to lawmakers in Turkish Parliament on Wednesday.
To the dismay and chagrin of its NATO allies, Turkey finalized the deal in September and even made first payment for the system, which NATO says is not interoperable with its own systems.
The defense minister was speaking at a session of Parliament’s budget committee to inform the lawmakers about the next year’s spending.
“Once these systems are received, our country will have secured an important air defense capability. This solution aimed at meeting an urgent need will not hinder our commitment to developing our own systems,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
He also noted that Turkey was in talks with the Franco-Italian EUROSAM consortium on developing its own missile defense systems. Two weeks ago, he signed a memorandum with defense ministers of Italy and France in Brussels.
The defense minister also said Turkey received bids last week for the mass production of 500 Altay battle tanks, which are first indigenous, national tanks to be produced in Turkey.
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