President Trump And Turkish President Erdogan Agree To Form A Joint S-400 Study Group

© Sputnik/ Ilya Pitalev

Middle East Eye: EXCLUSIVE: Trump approves Turkish offer for joint S-400 study group

In call with Turkish president, Trump agrees to body to find ways to cohabit Ankara's purchase of F-35s and Russian missile system

US President Donald Trump has accepted an offer to form a joint technical study group with Turkey to investigate Washington's concerns over Ankara's purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile system, Middle East Eye has learned.

According to several Turkish officials, Trump, in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, overruled the Pentagon and the State Department who had been against the study group.

US officials were concerned that Ankara's purchase of the missile system would put advanced stealth F-35 fighter jets, which Turkey has also ordered, at risk because Moscow could steal sensitive information through the system's radar.

Confident of their assessment on the dangers posed by the missile system, US defence officials had refused to participate in the study group multiple times over the course of the past two months.

In a single phone call, that policy changed.

The White House and the US Defense Department did not return MEE's enquiries on the subject.

Read more ....

Update: Trump green lights study group on pairing Russian missile system with F-35s (Washington Examiner)

WNU Editor: President Trump overruled the State Department and the Pentagon to conduct this study group. Even the Pentagon chief was out of the loop on this decision .... US Defence Chief Unaware of Plan to Create Working Group on S-400s With Turkey (Sputnik). Bottom line. This study group will proceed, but the Turks are not getting any F-35s in the interim.

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