Turkey to get Russia S-400 missile system, ignores US warnings

Turkey's President Erdogan says he hopes a Russian missile system that Washington sees as a threat to US jets will be delivered in July.

The US had said Turkey could not have both the S-400 anti-aircraft defence system and US F-35 fighter jets.

U.S. acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan last week sent his Turkish counterpart a letter warning that Ankara would be pulled out of the F-35 fighter jet programme unless it changes course from its plans to install the defences.

In what was Turkey’s first public response to the letter, Cavusoglu said no one can give Turkey ultimatums.

“Turkey will not back down from its decisions with these kinds of letters,” he said. “Turkey bought S-400, it is going to be delivered and stationed in Turkey.”

The S-400s are not compatible with NATO systems and Washington says they would compromise its F-35s, which Turkey also plans to buy. Turkey has proposed that the allies form a working group to assess the impact of the S-400s.

Turkish companies produce 937 of the plane's parts.

Turkey has been pursuing an increasingly independent defence policy and has been establishing closer links with Russia after a recent souring of its ties with the US and Europe.

US officials had wanted Turkey to buy its Patriot missile system instead.

Turkey has the second-largest army in Nato, a 29-member military alliance set up to defend against what was at the time the Soviet Union.

The S-400 "Triumf" is one of the most sophisticated surface-to-air missile systems in the world.

It has a range of 400km (250 miles), and one S-400 integrated system can shoot down up to 80 targets simultaneously.

Russia says it can hit aerial targets ranging from low-flying drones to aircraft flying at various altitudes and long-range missiles.