ISTANBUL/MOSCOW - Russia and Turkey have signed a contract for Ankara to purchase the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system, the Kremlin confirmed on Tuesday, in a move that could set off alarm bells in Washington. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was earlier quoted by local media as saying that his country had put down a deposit for the advanced missile system, the best that Russia currently has on offer. US military officials and politicians have expressed concerns over the intentions of Turkey, a NATO member, to buy the Russian system amid wider signs of Ankara getting closer to Moscow over the past year. The Russian S-400 is not compatible with NATO systems. Also, previous Turkish efforts to buy a Chinese missile defence system were not successful in part over disagreements on knowledge transfer.

Source: The China Post September 12, 2017 12:56 UTC