Turkey expects Russia to transfer technology for S-400 systems

Ankara has heard no official refusal from Moscow on joint production of S-400 anti-ballistic missiles and expects it to transfer them technology, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the daily Aksam in an interview.

"We have heard no official refusal on that score. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin told us we may take steps for joint production. Know-how will be crucial. If Russia’s attitude is negative, we may clinch a deal with another country," the minister said.

He said that Turkey may drop the intention to purchase S-400 air defense systems from Russia, if no agreement on their joint production is achieved.

"We must purchase them (S-400) urgently, because we need them. We’ve got to protect our airspace. But if some anti-Russia-minded countries do not want Turkey to purchase S-400 from it, then they must provide their alternative," Hurriyet Daily cited Cavusoglu as saying.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on September 12 that Ankara had signed a contract with Moscow for purchasing S-400 air defense systems and that a deposit had been put down already. Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin confirmed this at the end of September, adding that the handover of S-400 production knowhow to Turkey was not on the agenda.