Turkey's S-400 purchase from Russia matter of 'national decision’: NATO chief
Tehran (KNA) - Secretary General of the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg has described as a matter of “national decision” Turkey’s plan to purchase the advanced Russian-built S-400 air defense missile system, regardless of strong opposition and warnings from the United States.
"It is a challenge and is well-known that there is a disagreement between Turkey and especially [the] United States on this issue," Stoltenberg said at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington D.C.
He added that for NATO the most important thing is that "different systems can work together."
Business and financial television news network CNBC, citing an unnamed informed source, reported last week that Turkey has begun building a site for the S-400 missile system.
The report, however, gave no indication about where the site is located in Turkey.
A number of NATO member states have criticized Turkey for its planned purchase of the S-400 missile defense systems from Russia, stating that the move could jeopardize Ankara's acquisition of F-35 fighter jets.
On July 15, the top American Air Force general in Europe warned that the Turkish government's plan to purchase Russian S-400 systems would give the advanced air defense shield deep insight into the US radar-evading F-35 fighter jets.
"Anything that an S-400 can do that affords it the ability to better understand a capability like the F-35 is certainly not to the advantage of the coalition," said General Tod Wolters, who is also the NATO Allied Air Commander.
Source: PressTV