The Turkish Air Force deployed F-16 fighters over the skies of Ankara to test the capacity of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system.

Turkish air force aircraft, including F-16 fighters, will fly at various altitudes in Ankara's airspace on November 25-26, to test the radar of the S- 400 was handed over by Russia.

The test comes as Washington urged Ankara to "destroy, return or seek to abandon the S-400 system" to restore bilateral relations and avoid sanctions. The first S-400 complex was delivered to Turkey by Russia in July but has not been commissioned.

Turkey and Russia signed an agreement to buy S-400 missiles worth $ 2.5 billion in December 2017. The United States has repeatedly rejected the contract, arguing that the S-400 is incompatible with NATO's defense systems and threatens stealthy F-35 fighters. Experts say Turkey could deploy a system in the south to control part of the Mediterranean.

Washington has removed Ankara from its F-35 super-fighter program, refusing to hand over 105 F-35A aircraft that it ordered and removed Turkish defense corporations from its stealth production line. Contacts 5 to respond.

During a meeting in Washington in early November, US President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that it needed to abandon the S-400 and that the United States was willing to sell Turkey alternative Patriot systems. . However, Erdogan later revealed that he had told Trump that Turkey would not give up the S-400 missiles, because Ankara and Moscow had a very strong relationship.