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Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the US sanctions on his country shake all the values of the Turkey-US alliance, a day after Washington imposed sanctions on Turkey’s Defense Industries Authority and its officials.
Akar explained that sanctions against a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will not only damage the spirit of the alliance, but will also undermine trust between the allies. He added that the Turkish government will take all measures to protect the safety of its citizens and his country, which is under dangerous air and missile threats, as he himself said.
The United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on the Turkish Defense Industries Authority, its president, Ismail Demir, and officials there.
The department said the sanctions were imposed under the “CATSA Act,” the Anti-American Adversaries Act. Following the announcement of the US sanctions, the Turkish lira increased by about 1%.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sanctions against Turkey’s Defense Industries Authority were due to the purchase of the “S-400” anti-missile system.
Pompeo added that the sanctions include a ban on all US export licenses, an assets freeze and visa restrictions for the authority’s chairman, Ismail Demir, and other officials.
He indicated that the United States had made it clear to Turkey that its purchase of the “S-400” system could jeopardize US technology and the US military.
Pompeo explained that Turkey decided to continue purchasing and testing Russian missiles despite the availability of alternative systems from NATO.
But Pompeo added that Turkey is a valuable ally and an important partner in regional security, and that his country seeks to continue cooperating with him in the defense sector.
Washington says the use of the “S-400” systems may jeopardize NATO defense systems, while Ankara says the system will not be integrated into the alliance’s systems and pose no threat.
A week ago, Sergey Chemezov, director of the Russian military manufacturing company “Rostec”, said that the agreement for the S-400 air defense system had been implemented.
Chemezov added, in an interview with Interfax, that Ankara has received all parts of the system and has paid all financial fees.
In the context of the reactions, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said that the US sanctions would damage bilateral relations, and “we will respond with whatever is necessary.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry called on Washington to reconsider and reverse the sanctions decision. He also said: “We will not refrain from taking any steps for our national security.”
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