President Erdoğan answers the youth’s questions at Dolmabahçe Palace

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered questions on current issues in an interview with the youth at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.

In answer to a question about Turkey’s purchase of S-400s from Russia, President Erdoğan stated that it is a done deal and that there is no question of stepping back on the issue. The delivery of S-400s will start in July, President Erdoğan noted, adding that this could be brought forward.

Stressing that there is no such issue as S-400s’ incompatibility with F-35 fighters from a technical viewpoint, President Erdoğan said that Turkey has the necessary technical knowledge to decide which weapon is eligible for procurement. Recalling Turkey’s previous efforts to purchase Patriots from the U.S., President Erdoğan stated that the U.S. didn’t give Turkey this system with the same conditions as S-400s.

As regards the delivery of F-35s, President Erdoğan said that five of them had been handed over to Turkish pilots in the U.S. but that they were yet to be brought to Turkey. Adding that the U.S. has not handed the simulators and other relevant equipment over to Turkey yet, President Erdoğan stressed that Turkey will, sooner or later, receive F-35s and their parts.