This is a very sensitive issue, a military technical cooperation issue. Russia always responds with understanding to requests from our partners, including Turkey. We are in contact about this issue and discussions are still ongoing. All of these issues are being discussed at the expert level under contracts signed between Russia and Turkey" - Russian Ambassador to Turkey Sergey Vershinin shared.
Previously, Turkish media reported that the S-400 complexes that Turkey bought from Russia had been resold to a Persian Gulf nation. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are mentioned as the most potential buyers.
Turkish media also quoted Defense Minister Yasar Guler as saying that Ankara continues to negotiate with third countries on the issue of re-exporting S-400 missiles.
Turkey purchased 4 S-400 air defense missile battalions from Russia in 2017 under a contract worth 2.5 billion USD. In October 2019, Russia's weapons export company Rosoboronexport (under state-owned technology corporation Rostec) announced that the S-400 system supply contract had been completed.
After the contract between Turkey and Russia on the supply of S-400 was signed, Ankara was excluded from the US's next-generation F-35 fighter development program.
Also according to Russian Ambassador to Ankara Sergey Vershinin, Russia is satisfied with the development of trade and economic relations with Turkey.
We are very pleased that the economic relationship between Russia and Turkey is developing successfully. Currently, bilateral trade turnover reaches 50 billion USD per year. Of course, this is not a limit," he said in an interview.
Moscow and Ankara have repeatedly declared that the strategic goal of the two countries is to bring trade turnover between the two sides to 100 billion USD per year.
