Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems does not mean a change of the country's strategic orientation, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar tells his U.S. counterpart by phone, adding that the acquisition was a necessity.
Turkey's Defense Ministry also cites Akar as saying Ankara was still assessing the bid to acquire U.S. Patriot air defence systems and that a deterioration of bilateral relations would not serve the interests of either country.