Last month, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin reaffirmed that Ankara would purchase Russian S-400 air defence systems regardless of a potential deal with the United States on the acquisition of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.
The US government will halt the process of selling the Patriot systems if Turkey proceeds with the purchase of the Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, a senior US official told Hurriyet Daily News on condition of anonymity.
The US has been working with its NATO ally on the sale of its Patriot missile system to prevent it from acquiring Russia’s S-400s, which has become a major stumbling block in Washington-Ankara relations.