The spokesman for the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, Zeki Aktürk, said today that work on the country's long-range S-400 air and missile defense systems continues in several directions, the Anadolu Agency (AA) reported for BTA.
At the ministry's weekly media briefing at the headquarters of “Havelsan“ (Havelsan) in Ankara, Aktürk said: “Work on the S-400 long-range air and missile defense systems continues in multiple directions.“
“It will be announced to the public when there is a concrete development“, he added, without providing further details on the current status of the program or the timetable for future announcements.
He also said that the Turkish Armed Forces continue to contribute to regional and global peace, security and stability through cooperation with friendly and allied countries, training and advisory activities, and participation in multinational missions.
Condemning Israeli attacks on civilians in Lebanon and Palestine, Aktürk said that such actions continue to hinder lasting peace and stability in the region and aim to undermine the negotiations that have reached their final stage.
“Once again "We emphasize that the parties that conclude the negotiations with a constructive approach will contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in our region and the world," he said.
He also said that Turkey continues its efforts to develop military cooperation with Syria and support the restructuring of the Syrian armed forces.
As part of these efforts, on July 13, Turkish Navy Commander Admiral Kadir Yildiz and the delegation he led visited the Syrian city of Latakia aboard the Turkish warships “TCG Istanbul“ (TCG Bora), “TCG Tufan“ (TCG Gemlik) and “TCG Heybeliada“ (TCG Heybeliada).
Akturk noted that Turkish warships visited the port of Latakia for the first time in 18 years. During the visit, delegation-level talks were held with the commander of the Syrian Navy and inspections were carried out at the Latakia military port.
He said that expanding cooperation between Turkey and Syria in new areas, including maritime cooperation and efforts to enhance the capabilities of the Syrian Navy, would contribute to regional stability.
Regarding defense ties with Egypt, Aktürk said that recent high-level mutual visits had accelerated military cooperation, with contacts between military delegations expanding joint activities in the areas of military training, joint initiatives and the defense industry.
He noted that the joint air exercises held in Egypt and Turkey in June had improved interoperability, joint operational capabilities and experience sharing between the two countries' armed forces.
He added that during talks in Turkey Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler and his Egyptian counterpart signed a letter of intent on defense cooperation, describing it as an expression of the two countries' shared commitment to deepen defense and security cooperation and contribute to peace, stability, and security in the region.