No Russian personnel will operate the S-400 missile defense systems after they enter service in Turkey, Ismail Demir, head of the Turkish Defense Industry Directorate, said in a televised interview with CNN Turk on Saturday.

Axar.az reports citing CNN Turk.

"Turkish specialists are continuing their training in Russia. We have reiterated more than once that there will be no Russian personnel [to operate the S-400]," he said adding that Turkey had no plans to put aside the S-400 missile defense systems having purchased them from Russia.

"We are planning to put the Russian systems into service in April 2020," he stressed.

On Friday, Turkish presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said, "Turkey will not back out of the S-400 deal. The systems will be put into operation."

After talks with visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on November 13 in Washington, US President Donald Trump said they had agreed to instruct key ministers to take efforts to settle the situation around Ankara’s S-400 deal. He said he was convinced the two countries would be able to find a solution to the S-400 and F-35 matters.