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NATO Chief says Turkey remains important ally despite S-400 deal

18 July 2019 11:03 (UTC +04:00)

The chief of NATO said Turkey would remain a key member of the alliance despite its decision to purchase the Russian S-400 missile-defense system while acknowledging that the move created a “difficult situation”, APA reports citing Bloomberg.

Turkey can still be included in NATO’s integrated air and missile defense network even if the S-400 is excluded from it, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, said on Wednesday.

“Turkey is an important NATO member,” Stoltenberg said at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado. “As long as that issue’s not solved, we need to minimize the negative consequences.”

His comments highlighted the moderating message that NATO has sought to deliver in the days since Turkey, home to the alliance’s second-largest military, started taking delivery of the Russian-made S-400 missile-defense system over protests from the U.S. and others last week.

Some analysts have warned that buying the S-400 could result in Turkey leaving the alliance.

His remarks also matched the tone from the Trump administration, which is making good on its threat to expel Turkey from the F-35 advanced fighter jet program but has so far held off imposing sanctions as required by U.S. law. In a statement earlier Wednesday, the White House said the U.S. “will continue to cooperate with Turkey extensively.”