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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Turkey's S-400 Air Defense Missiles to be Loaded on Planes Sunday in Russia

FILE PHOTO: Russian S-400 air defense mobile missile launching systems drive during a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2015. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor

Russian S-400 defense systems that Ankara purchased will be loaded on to cargo planes on Sunday and arrive in Turkey next week.

Washington said that sanctions against the NATO ally would be triggered when the missile batteries arrive in Ankara.

The initial S-400 delivery will be sent on two cargo planes from a Russian military air base, privately-held broadcaster Haberturk said without citing a source.

A Russian technical team is also expected to arrive in Turkey by Monday to oversee its installation, Reuters reported.

Turkey and the US have been at odds over Ankara's decision to buy the systems which Washington says are not compatible with NATO defenses and would compromise US F-35 fighter jets, which Turkey helps build and also plans to buy.

According to Reuters, Washington has also formally started the process of expelling Turkey from the programme for F-35s, made by Lockheed Martin Corp.

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