U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to speak with his Turkish counterpart, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in the coming days, State Department spokesman Ned Price said while reiterating that American policy opposing Turkey’s Russian S-400 missiles remains unchanged.
"I would expect the secretary and his Turkish counterpart will have an opportunity to chat, to connect in the coming days," Ned Price told reporters.
Asked whether the United States is considering Turkey’s recent suggestion that it may not need to make the Russian S-400 missile defense systems operational all the time, Price said Washington’s policy remained unchanged.
"Russian S-400s are incompatible with NATO equipment, they threaten the security of NATO technology, and they’re inconsistent with Turkey’s commitments as a NATO ally," Price said.
Price did not say whether Washington would consider the proposal, reiterating that the U.S. policy remains the same and that Washington continues to urge Turkey not to retain the S-400 system.
"Turkey is a long-standing and valued NATO ally. ... We seek cooperation on common priorities, and as with any ally, we engage in dialogue to address disagreements," Reuters cited Price as saying.
