US has not replied to Turkey’s letter on S-400s: Defense minister

The United States has not yet replied to a letter sent by Turkey for resolving the S-400 air defense system deadlock, the Turkish defense minister has said, reiterating that the Russian weaponry will be used only when the country is under threat.

"The S-400s are a defensive system. It will be used when needed against a threat and danger. It has no harm to anybody if there is no intended attack against Turkey," Hulusi Akar said at a meeting in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri on Feb. 26.

Akar's statement follows a Pentagon official's recent remarks that Turkey should not retain the Russian S-400 air defense systems as they are no compatible with the NATO equipment while arguing that the Turkish government refused to purchase Patriot air defense systems from the U.S. in the past decade.

Ankara's decision to acquire the Russian systems was a sovereign move that came as a result of Washington dragging its feet in selling the Patriots to Turkey, Akar recalled.

Akar added Turkey sought addressing the concerns of the U.S. over the deployment of the S-400s on its soils but a letter sent to Washington to this end has not been replied to yet.

The former Trump administration imposed sanctions on Turkey through the Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in December last year and ended Turkey's participation of the F-35 stealth fighter project. It has rejected to send four F-35 fighters which Turkey had already paid for.

"Imposing certain restrictions on Turkey, particularly about the F-35s, over the S-400s is not befitting the spirit of alliance," Akar said.

US should have partnered with us in anti-ISIL fight

Akar also raised Turkey's...