Germany Wants Turkey To Drop S-400 Missile Systems Deal With Russia - Cabinet Spokesman

Germany Wants Turkey to Drop S-400 Missile Systems Deal With Russia - Cabinet Spokesman

Germany wants Turkey to cancel its deal to purchase S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems from Russia, as the agreement contradicts the interests of Ankara's partners in NATO, and instead opt for buying the US-made Patriot system, cabinet spokesman Steffan Seibert said Wednesday

BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2019) Germany wants Turkey to cancel its deal to purchase S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems from Russia, as the agreement contradicts the interests of Ankara's partners in NATO, and instead opt for buying the US-made Patriot system, cabinet spokesman Steffan Seibert said Wednesday.

Turkey has until June to abandon the agreement, according to CNBC sources, or else it will face US sanctions for importing military technology from Russia. Washington has argued that S-400s are not compatible with NATO systems.

"Turkey's deployment of this system could trigger US sanctions, which would run counter to Turkish and NATO interests. In this regard, the German government would welcome a revision of Turkey's decision, in light of its transatlantic posture," Seibert said at a daily briefing.

Turkey has repeatedly denied calls to cancel S-400 shipments, due as early as July, saying it is a done deal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to the US ultimatum for Ankara on Wednesday by calling it unacceptable.