By Ahval
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said Turkey expects NATO to act in accordance with the “alliance spirit” and leave aside debates on the country’s purchase of Russian air defence systems, Cumhuriyet newspaper reported.
“We expect our friends in NATO to act only in accordance with the spirit of the alliance and to preserve the alliance’s founding values,” the president said at the NATO meeting of the North Atlantic Council with the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) partners in Ankara.
Erdoğan said Turkey disapproves attempts to flare the discussion related to Turkey’s sovereignty, such as Ankara’s purchase of an S-400 air missile defence system from Russia.
“Turkey’s relationship with other countries are not alternative to each other, they are rather complementary,” Erdoğan said, “I disapprove of starting just debates over issues like S-400s.”
Turkey’s planned-purchase of the S-400 system has strained ties with the United States, which maintains the systems are not compatible with NATO equipment and may compromise its Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. Washington has warned of possible U.S. should Ankara follow through with the Russian deal.
Turkey, a partner in the production of the F-35s, says the S-400s and jets would not impact each other and has remained firm on its deal with Russia. Washington has offered to sell Patriot air defence batteries to Turkey, of Ankara cancels the S-400 purchase, but the latter insists with the Russian deal.
