Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu attended a video conference with the Atlantic Council Turkey Program and the Turkish Heritage Foundation. He talked about the fight against Coronavirus and Turkey's defence strategies.

“Turkey’s decision to purchase the S-400 system is a result of US reluctance to meet our urgent needs for many years, for 10 years,” he said. Ankara requested in February that the United States deploy Patriot batteries along its southern frontier to defend Turkish troops. Çavuşoğlu reiterated Turkey is ready to buy them if made “a good offer” by the United States.

“In the future, we need more air defence systems. And if our allies can provide – it does not have to be only Patriot from the United States, it can also be a SAMP/T of Eurosam, a joint venture of France and Italy, or any similar system from other allies – and we prefer to purchase from our allies. If not, I have to seek alternatives,” Çavuşoğlu added.