ANKARA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey and Russia have sealed a deal to purchase the S-400 missile defense system.
"We have now taken steps with the Russian Federation about this issue. Signatures have been issued. And we hope we will see S-400 missiles in our country and we will continue the process through joint production," Erdogan said in a speech to ruling Justice and Development Party lawmakers at the parliament.
His remarks came amid the U.S. criticism over the possibility of Turkey purchasing an anti-missile defense system from a non-NATO country.
"Why are they concerned? Greece, a NATO member, has been using S-300 for years," he noted.
"It would be a concern, were they to do that, but they have not done that," Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week.
Late on Monday, Erdogan told reporters at Ankara Esenboga airport that the purchase of S-400 missile defense system from Russia is not "worrying."
It was "important" for Turkey to choose an entity with which it could be in co-production, he added.
In June, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin said the tow countries had agreed on the delivery of the S-400 mobile systems but the Kremlin had not approved a loan for the deal.
S-400 missiles are the new generation of the Russian missile system introduced in 2007. It can carry three types of missiles capable of destroying ground and air targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
