Source Reuters : Turkish President Erdoğan said on the 11th local time that if the United States sanctions Turkey for purchasing Russian air defense systems, it would be disrespectful to Turkey, a NATO ally.
Previously, it was reported that the U.S. government announced sanctions against Turkey as soon as the 11th to punish the latter for purchasing S-400 air defense systems from Russia last year.
Reuters quoted Turkish media sources as saying that Erdoğan said today that the United States’ use of the Sanctions to Counterattack the United States’ Enemy Act against Turkey is disrespectful of an important partner of NATO (Turkey).
The Law on Retaliation of the U.S. Enemy with Sanctions, which came into force in August 2017, stipulates that the United States will impose sanctions on third countries that carry out military cooperation with Russia, Iran and North Korea.
Erdoğan also said that “when the United States completes the transfer of power, things can be seen more clearly”, he said, “so now we need to wait and observe patiently”.
Several sources said on the 10th that the U.S. government announced sanctions against Turkey as soon as the 11th to punish the latter for purchasing S-400 air defense systems from Russia last year.
Turkey and the United States are both members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Russia delivered the S-400 anti-aircraft system to Turkey last year.
Turkey said that this Russian-made weapon will not be integrated with the NATO system and will not threaten the security of allies, and hopes to set up a joint working group with the United States to resolve the dispute.
The United States determined that the S-400 would pose a threat to NATO military aircraft, especially F-35 stealth fighters, and kicked Turkey out of the F-35 joint research and development project last year.
