Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to purchasing the Russian-made S-400 air-defense system, asserting that Ankara has alternatives if the Washington cancels its F-35 deal.

Speaking to a crowd of military officers at a graduation ceremony on Friday, the Turkish president said that Turkey “needs” the S-400 system for its defense, and that deliveries would happen very soon on account that the deal was already “done.”

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He added that it was “not acceptable” for Turkey to accept US impositions regarding the S-400 sale and, if the US wanted to cancel its deal to deliver F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, then “we have alternatives.”

A member of NATO, Turkey’s decision to buy the S-400 has been a major concern for the US and other members of the alliance, who fear that its deployment alongside US-made weapons and systems operated by Turkey, such as the F-35, will be put at risk.

As a means of coercion, Washington has stalled on deliveries of the F-35 to Turkey, hinting at possible sanctions and an outright cancellation of the F-35 sale if Turkey doesn’t bail on the S-400 deal. Erdogan, however, said that they will continue to pay into the program.

“Turkey, which is already a project partner [in the F-35 program], also needs F-35 fighter jets, its domestically developed planes, and planes developed with other countries. We have paid $900 million so far [for F-35's] and continue to pay as installments come due,” he said.

Turkey’s need for the S-400 system was further stressed by Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who accused Washington of pressuring allies.

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“The US has been pressuring all its allies in the recent period, so there is no alliance. We have an urgent need for our allies to buy air-defense systems,” Hurriyet reported him saying.

Joining Turkey in its refusal to bow to US pressure over an S-400 purchase has been India, which in June confirmed its commitment to its own $6 billion S-400 deal.

Calling New Delhi’s defense ties with Moscow a “time-tested relationship,” Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said US sanctions “cannot impact the India-Russia defense cooperation.”

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