Turkey’s Erdogan says no setbacks in S-400 deal with Russia, ‘eyes on delivery’

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday there were no setbacks in a deal to procure Russian S-400 missile defense systems, adding that “eyes are on the delivery process”, expected in the first half of July.

The United States has warned that it would impose sanctions on Turkey if it went ahead with the S-400 deal. But Turkey has dismissed the warnings and said it would not back down.

Relations between the NATO allies have become strained.

Erdogan, speaking before talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Japan, also said it was important to finish the first reactor in the Akkuyu nuclear power plant by 2023.

Erdogan is also due to meet US President Donald Trump in Osaka.