First S-400 Shipment to Turkey Completed: Ankara

Russia has completed the initial deliveries of its S-400 air defense system by supplying the first shipment of the systems to Turkey, Turkish military officials said on 25 July.

“Second shipment is now being planned to arrive in Ankara,” the officials added.

The officials further said that the two parties are negotiating on Turkey’s Patriot missile system buy, an offer that Ankara previously turned down to favour the S-400. The NATO-ally struck a $2.5 billion deal with Russia for the defense systems in 2017.

The S-400 was reportedly chosen following US’ rejection of Turkey’s initial request to buy the Patriot, and Russia’s offer that includes technology transfer. Washington halted the training of Turkish pilots of the F-35 and has expelled Turkey from the F-35 programme, apart from threatening to impose sanctions.

Deliveries to Turkey commenced on 12 July.

The US has now stated that it submitted a “much better offer” to Turkey in March, responses of which are still awaited.