Erdogan remains defiant as NATO allies criticize S-400 deal with Russia

‘Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed criticism from his NATO allies over his country’s purchase of Russia’s strategic S-400 missile defense systems, saying Ankara would not “wait for” the Western military alliance to help Ankara with security affairs.
“They went crazy because we made the S-400 agreement. What were we supposed to do, wait for you?” the Turkish head of state said during a speech in Ankara on Wednesday. “We are taking and will take all our measures on the security front.”
Erdogan said Monday that Turkey had already paid a deposit for two batteries of the advanced missile systems. The deal is said to be worth around $2.5 billion.
The S-400 system is an advanced Russian missile system designed to detect, track, and destroy planes, drones, or missiles as far as 402 kilometers away. It has previously been sold only to China and India.’
Read more: Erdogan remains defiant as NATO allies criticize S-400 deal with Russia