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Turkey may take delivery of Russian S-400s earlier: Erdogan

April 11, 2019 00:00:00


ANKARA, Apr 10 (AFP): President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the delivery of Turkey's disputed Russian S-400 missile defence systems could be earlier than initially planned, Hurriyet daily reported on Wednesday.

Ankara's purchase of the S-400s risks US sanctions and has further strained already tense relations with Washington.

US officials are concerned over the incompatibility of the S-400s with NATO military hardware as well as Ankara's increasingly close relationship with Russia.

"The S-400 missile defence system was to be delivered in July, maybe we will bring this forward," Erdogan told Turkish journalists on board his plane after a Russia visit, the newspaper said.

Erdogan was in Moscow on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the S-400 purchase and joint coordination in Syria on the agenda.


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