OREANDA-NEWS. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Russian air defense systems S-400 would be put into operation in April. At the same time, he noted that the country’s leadership requested Patriot systems from the United States.

“S-400 are already ours. Training on them continues. From April, the air defense systems will be ready for operation. But I told [Russian colleagues in Moscow. – Ed.] yesterday that if America supplies us with Patriot air defense systems, we will also buy them,” Erdogan explained to Turkish journalists.

Reuters agency reported, citing the Turkish president, that military observation posts in Syrian governorate of Idlib will maintain their current status in accordance with the Russian-Turkish ceasefire agreement. Erdogan added that the agreement laid the foundation for normalizing the situation in the region and Ankara would activate S-400, despite Washington’s protests.