Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country is moving ahead with plans to purchase another Russian air defense system, despite warnings from the U.S. and other NATO allies that the move could have destabilizing consequences.
In an interview with CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan, Erdogan claimed that Turkey had never received the F-35 jets it had purchased from the U.S. and was forced to seek out a Russian system following failed requests for the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system.
The U.S. has disputed claims of failed requests regarding its Patriot air defense system.
“I explained everything to President Biden,” Erdogan said in a segment of the interview slated to air in full on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
The Trump administration in 2019 moved to suspend delivering F-35 fighter aircraft equipment to Turkey over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 long-range air defense system. The U.S government has repeatedly warned that the Russian system could harm the NATO alliance through its ability to detect detailed information about F-35 jets.
