Moscow and Ankara have agreed on the delivery of the S-400 air defense system to Turkey, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin said yesterday.
"The contract has been agreed upon. The issue on the loan has not been resolved yet," Kozhin was quoted as saying according to Russian RIA Novosti news agency.
Kozhin said Russia sees no obstacles to the delivery of the air missile defense system to Turkey in connection with its membership to NATO.
Turkey and Russia have engaged in talks regarding Turkey's cooperation with Russia in the defense sector since the Russian-Turkish rapprochement in August 2016.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in early June that Russia was ready to supply Turkey with S-400 air defense systems.
S-400 missiles are the new generation of the Russian missile system and thus far Russia has only sold the system to two other countries. Last year, both China and India signed inter-governmental agreements to procure four regiments of the Russian-made S-400s, and delivery of the new air defense systems is expected to begin in 2020. It can carry three types of missiles capable of destroying targets including ballistic and cruise missiles.
It can track and engage up to 300 targets at the same time and has an altitude ceiling of 27 kilometers.
Turkey will become the first NATO member country to purchase the system.
