ANKARA – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Turkey will buy someof Russia´s highly-sophisticated air defence systems “in the shortest time”– a purchase that has alarmed Ankara´s NATO partners.

“Turkey needs S-400s and its deal has been done,” Erdogan said in thewestern city of Balikesir. “God willing, we will buy them in the shortesttime.”

In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to speed up the firstdeliveries of the S-400s, which had previously been scheduled for the endof 2019 or the beginning of 2020.

The S-400 is the latest generation surface-to-air defence system developedby Russia and is considered by NATO countries to pose a threat to theiraircraft.

Such a major purchase of weaponry from Moscow has raised concerns overTurkey´s strategic orientation and the compatibility of the systems withinthe alliance.

It comes at a time of high tension between Turkey and the United States,its NATO ally, over Ankara´s detention of an American pastor onterror-related charges.

The crisis has strained ties and sent the already-fragile lira intofreefall against the dollar, with US President Donald Trump doublingtariffs on aluminium and steel from Turkey.

That prompted Ankara to impose similar measures on several US products.

Erdogan has remained defiant in the face of US sanctions and said Turkeywas not without an alternative, warning it could turn to new allies andmarkets.

Washington has warned Ankara against delivery of S-400s from Russia, sayingany such acquisition would inevitably affect the prospects for Turkishmilitary-industrial cooperation with the United States.

Erdogan on Friday said Turkey “needed cooperation with other countries asmuch as that with Europe and America.” – APP/AFP