Turkey breaks contract with Russia to purchase S-400 antiaircraft system

According to foreign military media reports, Turkey has broken the contract it signed earlier with Russia for the purchase of Russian antiaircraft defence systems S-400. The reason for the breach of the contract concerns the Turkish side's dissatisfaction, with the terms of the deal proposed by the Russian side.

“Moscow announced that it had not signed the second contract for the supply of C400 with Ankara and began clarifying the first” contract, reportedly in the media report.

It is reported that Turkey was not satisfied with the terms of the deal proposed by Russia, and, apparently, this is due to Russia's unwillingness to transfer Russian air defence systems technologies to Turkey.

By the end of 2017, Turkey had signed its first contract with Russia for supply with the S-400 anti-aircraft system, worth $2.5 billion. In July 2019, Russia had started sending the first parts of the S-400 system to Turkey, while testing the system by the Turkish military had only been done last month.

In addition, Russia reportedly had not completely handed over the system to the Turkish side, as it feared the Turkish side had planned that the S-400 to hand over the US, as part of the Turkish Army's supply agreement with American F-35 planes.