The Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation has rubbished media reports claiming that Turkey plans to expel Russian military experts helping it operate the S-400 air defense missile system due to mounting U.S. pressure.
Speaking to Russian news agency Sputnik, the defense cooperation agency’s spokesperson, Valeria Reshetnikova said: "In accordance with the S-400 agreement, the return of Russian technical experts who are currently in Turkey will be carried out according to the previously approved schedule.”
The remarks came ahead of the June 14 NATO summit in Brussels, where Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his American counterpart Joe Biden are expected to hold a meeting to discuss bilateral ties.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Turkey is considering expelling Russian experts overseeing the S-400 missile system in an aim to appease U.S. officials.
During his official visit to Greece, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu called other countries' demands on Turkey’s use of the Russia-purchased S-400s as "inadmissible."
In April 2017, when its protracted efforts to buy an air defense system from the U.S. proved futile, Turkey signed a contract with Russia to acquire the state-of-art S-400 missiles.
The S-400 is Russia's most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system, with the ability to carry three types of missiles capable of destroying targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
