Turkey’s Russian missile buy ‘disappointing’: Pentagon nominee

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department called Turkey’s acquisition of a Russian missile defense system “disappointing” Tuesday, in the administration’s first comment since the first S-400 missile parts were delivered last week. “It’s certainly disappointing,“ Defense Secretary nominee Mark Esper told his Senate confirmation hearing. “Turkey has been a long-standing and very capable NATO ally, but their decision on the S-400 is the wrong one and it’s disappointing,“ he said. Esper said he would abide by the decision last year to drop Turkey from NATO’s F-35 fighter jet development program due to Ankara’s decision to buy ...