ANKARA – Turkey’s military relationship with the United States will faceserious consequences if Ankara takes possession of the Russian S-400 airdefence system, Defence Department spokesperson Charlie Summers toldreporters on Friday.
“If Turkey takes the S-400, there would be grave consequence in termsof our military relationship, and the Patriots and the F-35s,” Summers wasquoted as saying by Defense News. “They will not get the F-35s if they takethe S-400.”
Summers’ comments came after US European Command head Curtis Scaparrottiadvised Congress on Tuesday to bar Turkey from getting the F-35 jet shouldAnkara continue with plans to procure the S-400 air defence system.
Summers said the United States may also block Ankara from purchasingPatriot missile systems.
Read Top Stories
On Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed that the dealwith Russia on deliveries of the S-400 air defence systems was completed,and said a new deal on purchases of advanced Russian-made S-500 systemscould be possible in future.
In January, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara wasready to consider the US proposal on deliveries of the Patriot air defencesystems, but refused to abandon the S-400 missile systems deal with Russiaas a potential precondition for the Ankara-Washington agreement.
