Turkey-US Group on S-400 Issue Not Yet Created, Talks Underway, Ankara Source Says

Sputnik News

14:14 GMT 30.12.2020(updated 14:19 GMT 30.12.2020)

ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkey and the United States have not yet established a joint working group to discuss Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems, but are currently holding negotiations on the subject, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source told reporters on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara and Washington had created such a group.

"We have not yet created a working group on the S-400 issue, the technical talks are underway. The minister meant that a technical-level working group on the issue of sanctions would be set up by Turkey and the US," the source said.

In July 2019, the United States suspended Turkey's participation in its F-35 multirole fighter program over Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems and later completely removed it from the project. In December, Washington imposed sanctions on Turkey's weapons procurement sector over the S-400 issue. Despite that, however, Turkey continues to manufacture F-35 parts.

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