State Department approves $3.5B Patriot missile sales to Turkey amid tensions
By Ellen Mitchell - 12/19/18 06:02 PM EST The State Department has approved a possible deal to sell Turkey a Patriot air and missile defense system, potentially worth up to $3.5 billion, officials told Congress on Tuesday.
The sale, if approved and signed, could lead to Turkey scrapping intentions to buy the Russian-made S-400 long-range air-defense system, officials say.
That potential sale that has long worried the Trump administration, adding to tensions between the two countries.
Turkey has said since last December it intended to buy the S-400, a sale that worried NATO members because the system is not interoperable with its defense systems, including the F-35. Turkey is a partner in the U.S.-led Joint Strike Fighter program to build the F-35, of which Ankara intends to buy.
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https://thehill.com/policy/defense/422173-state-department-approves-35b-patriot-missile-sales-to-turkey-amid-tensions
