Washington: US President Donald Trump has refused to criticise the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan over its purchase of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missiles and blamed Ankara’s move on his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. Trump on Tuesday told reporters before a White House cabinet meeting that Erdogan wanted to buy the US Patriot missile system, but the Obama administration would not sell it to him, and thus Ankara turned to Russia to supply the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, Efe news reported.
“It’s a mess. It’s a mess, and honestly, it’s not really Erdogan’s fault,” Trump had said at the G-20 summit in Japan. “I think he was unfairly treated.” “We are now telling Turkey that ‘because you have really been forced to buy another missile system, we are not going to sell you the F-35 fighter jets,’” Trump said. (IANS)