MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. The Russian-made S-400 missile systems cannot harm NATO, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Ankara on Tuesday.

"There is no evidence proving that the S-400 systems will harm NATO or the F-45 aircraft," he said in a speech broadcast by the Haberturk TV channel. "For Turkey, the S-400 purchase is a completely commercial move," Erdogan added. He pointed out that Ankara had suggested establishing a joint Turkish-US commission to discuss Washington’s S-400 concerns.

At the same time, Erdogan said he expected the US to take "the right steps." "I hope that President Trump will act in the right way and will not let our bilateral relations become hostage of the S-400 issue," the Turkish leader pointed out.

S-400 deal

News about Russian-Turkish talks on the delivery of the S-400 systems first came in November 2016. In September 2017, Erdogan announced that Ankara had signed a contract with Moscow on purchasing the S-400 systems and made an advance payment. Russia’s Rostec State Corporation Sergei Chemezov said in December 2017 that the deal was worth $2.5 bln.