Turkey had paid Russia in Full for S-400 Air Defence System

Turkey has paid Russia in full for the supply of S-400 air defense systems and the contract is closed, said Sergei Chemezov the head of Russian state corporation "Rostec" which is responsible for the sale to Ankara.

“We have fulfilled the contract in full, it is closed, which means that we have shipped and received all the funds,” Chemezov told reporters in Moscow today, Interfax reported.

The confirmation comes at a time when the United States is considering sanctions against Turkey under the 2021 US National Defence Authorization Act for violating the Countering American Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CATSAA), a US legislation that seeks to punish countries buying equipment from Russia. Turkey is already suspended from the F-35 program.

The price of the S-400 systems is $ 2.5 billion, part of the contract was issued on credit, Chemezov had said earlier. The first contract provides an option to supply Turkey with an additional batch of S-400.

Chemezov stated that there are prospects for the development of military-technical cooperation with Ankara. "Of course, there are prospects. This contract was unique because it was implemented in a NATO country. We are negotiating with Turkish partners on other equipment, there are prospects," Chemezov said.

S-400 component manufacture in Turkey

"The ball is now in Turkey’s court, we are waiting for our partners to make decisions. Rosoboronexport maintains contact with Turkey, discussions on future cooperation are underway. We are also discussing the possibilities of producing components there," Chemezov said.

He pointed out that the S-400 systems involved complex technologies and it was impossible to start producing them from scratch. At the same time, there are prospects for Russian-Turkish defense cooperation in other areas.

Turkey bought four divisions from Russia S-400. On October 23, 2019, Rosoboronexport announced that Russia fulfilled this contract ahead of schedule, supplying Turkey with all elements of the S-400 systems, including missiles.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on October 23 that Turkey has started testing the Russian-made system, brushing aside U.S. concerns. "(The tests) have been and are being conducted,” Erdogan told reporters. “The United States' stance absolutely does not concern us.”

“If we are not going to test these capabilities at our disposal, then what are we going to do?" he added.