US Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar remain in contact about Ankara's plans to buy a Russian air defence system, and may meet during NATO meetings in Brussels next week, NATO's commander told Reuters.
US General Tod Wolters said the military-to-military relationship between the United States and NATO remained "absolutely, positively solid," despite Washington's decision to cancel Turkey's purchase of F-35 stealth fighters if it proceeds with its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system.
"We won't co-locate those two assets, the S-400 and the F-35," Wolters said at the Paris Airshow. "
"I know there'll be follow on dialogue to work on ... details between Minister Akar and Secretary Shanahan.
As a matter of fact there may the opportunity to meet next week at the ministerials in NATO."
