Deliveries of Russian S-400 air defense systems are an internal affair of Turkey, they do not carry a negative attitude towards NATO, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, RIA Novosti reports.

“The agreement on the acquisition by Ankara of Russian S-400 air defense systems is an important step in terms of developing cooperation between Turkey and Russia. Russian complexes are a very important offensive defense system. Deliveries are an internal affair of Turkey. This is our decision. We made this decision, we agreed with Russia. From the point of view of NATO, this step does not bring any negative,” Erdogan said at a meeting with Turkish youth in Trabzon.

According to him, the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance "have the right to independently make decisions on the purchase of weapons for the needs of their armed forces."

Russia and Turkey signed a contract for the supply of four divisions of the S-400 air defense system in the amount of $2.5 billion in 2017, deliveries to the Turkish side were made in the summer and autumn of 2019. The contract included an option for another regimental set. At the end of August 2021, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that he had no doubts about buying a second S-400 regiment from Russia.