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ANKARA – Turkey ‘s deal to buy Russian S-400 missile defence systems had “nothing to do” with the security of the US, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday after a Pentagon warning.
He was speaking a day after Washington warned Ankara of “grave consequences” should the deal go ahead.
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“It is very clear why Turkey has bought this air defence system, under what conditions it has bought them and how it will be used,”
Erdogan said in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir.
The “issue was not about the S-400s” but about Turkey “taking actions on its own accord”, especially in Syria, he added.
Ankara’s push to buy the systems from Moscow has caused tensions with its NATO ally, as Washington has raised questions over the equipment’s compatibility with the alliance’s established weapon systems.
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