S-400 activation delayed due to COVID-19: Ankara

A senior Turkish official has said that Turkey delayed the activation of the Russian S-400 air defense systems due to the pandemic, but stressed the sophisticated military equipment will be operational as planned.

"There has been a delay because of the coronavirus but it will move forward as it was planned," İbrahim Kalın, spokesperson and chief foreign policy advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, told an online meeting hosted by the Atlantic Council on April 30.

Kalın did not give details about the length of the postponement of the activation of the air defense systems, an issue that has pitted Turkey and its ally the United States against each other. The U.S. has threatened Turkey with sanctions in the event that it activates the system.

Erdoğan has repeatedly told U.S. President Donald Trump about Turkey's interest in purchasing Patriot systems, Kalın recalled.

Kalın stressed that Turkey had to purchase the Russian system because its request to acquire the American Patriot air defense equipment was denied by Washington. "Our president has spent a lot of time on this. But, unfortunately, we were denied," he said, adding: "And then when our president raised the issue of looking an alternative and go for the Russian missile defense system, people thought he was bluffing. No, he never bluffs. He did not bluff. He straightforwardly said what he is going to do."

Apart from the S-400 issue, Turkey's expectations in regards to the members of FETÖ in the U.S. and the U.S.'s continuation of its support to the YPG in eastern Syria are contentious issues between the two countries, the spokesman said.

"There is certainly room for deeper cooperation between Turkey and the U.S.," Kalın underlined, referring to whether the U.S....

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