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Turkey’s Foreign Ministry rejects and condemns “unilateral” US sanctions against it, and the US Secretary of State calls on Ankara to “resolve the S-400 problem immediately in coordination with the United States.” .
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US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Today Monday, a US Treasury Department website said: “The United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey’s Defense Industries Administration, its president and three employees as punishment for Ankara for the purchase of a Russian air defense system. “.
The US Treasury Department stated that “Washington imposed sanctions on the Turkish Defense Industries Administration and its director, Ismail Demir, and three other individuals associated with the Turkish Defense Industries Administration.”
For his part, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced sanctions on Turkey’s defense industry for the purchase of the Russian S-400 system.
Pompeo said that “the US sanctions include a ban on all export licenses and permits issued to Turkey’s Defense Procurement Agency,” adding that “Washington has made it clear to Turkey that the purchase of the S- 400 will jeopardize the safety of US military technology and its personnel. “
He also said: “We urge Turkey to solve the S-400 problem immediately in coordination with the United States.” Pompeo also noted that “Turkey is a valuable ally and important partner in regional security, and the United States seeks to continue cooperation in the defense sector.”
Notably, last July legislators in the US Congress presented a bill to impose sanctions on Turkey for the purchase of the Russian “S-400” system.
The “Military News” website is reported to have said in October that “limited” sanctions “on Turkish defense industries” would allow the United States to continue its cooperation with Turkey on other weapons issues, such as purchasing spare parts for the fighter. Turkish F-35. Manufactured until 2022 “.
Turkish Foreign Ministry: We call on the United States to reconsider the fatal mistake
In turn, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced its rejection and condemnation of the unilateral US sanctions, highlighting that “the US sanctions will damage relations and Turkey will respond with whatever is necessary.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry also called on the United States to “reconsider the fatal mistake and get back to it as soon as possible,” declaring to “reject and condemn the unilateral US sanctions.”
Last Wednesday, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that punishing his country for buying Russian S-400 missile defense systems would be “extremely counterproductive and would damage Turkish-US relations.”
Kalin added: “Ankara believes that it is possible to agree on a good and positive agenda with the administration of US President-elect Joe Biden.”
In a related context, a Turkish official said that the US sanctions on Turkey “will damage relations between the two countries, which are members of NATO.”
On Friday, Bloomberg revealed that US President Donald Trump had signed a sanctions package against Turkey, in the context of the Russian S-400 missile defense system deal that Ankara had bought.
The agency cited informed sources that Trump signed a sanctions package proposed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and did not reveal the nature of these sanctions.
The agency also stated that sanctions will be imposed against Turkey under CAATSA, the law to confront the enemies of the United States through sanctions.
Last October, Turkey issued a notification to restrict the air and maritime space off its coast in the Black Sea, to allow launch tests, including the Russian S-400 defense system, a week after its transfer to the region.
In response, the United States strongly condemned Turkey’s operation of the “S-400” missile systems, warning of “potentially dangerous repercussions” of this Turkish move with respect to security relations between the two countries.
Deliveries of the latest Russian air defense systems, “S-400”, to Turkey began in mid-July 2019. Last August, Russia and Turkey signed a contract to supply a second batch of the defense system.
In December 2017, an agreement was signed in Ankara to supply the first batch of “S-400” to Turkey, under which Turkey obtains a loan from Russia to partially finance the purchase of missiles.
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