The US imposed sanctions on its NATO ally Turkey over weapons purchase from Russia

 – Vinayak Barot

New Delhi: The Government of the United States on Monday imposed sanctions on its NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) ally Turkey over weapons purchase from Russia. Turkey is purchasing Russian Air Defence System.

Relations between Washington and Ankara have been disturbed when Turkey decided to purchase the S-400 missile system from Russia.

First time CAASTA (Countering America’s Adversaries Sanctions Through Act) law has been used to penalize US ally Turkey.

To punish Turkey for its unexpected move – The United States on Monday kicked Turkey out of its F-35 stealth fighter development and training program over the S-400 purchase.

The US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said, ““The United States made clear to Turkey at the highest levels and on numerous occasions that its purchase of the S-400 system would endanger the security of US military technology and personnel and provide substantial funds to Russia’s defence sector, as well as Russian access to the Turkish armed forces and defence industry,”

“Turkey nevertheless decided to move ahead with the procurement and testing of the S-400, despite the availability of alternative, NATO-interoperable systems to meet its defence requirements,” Pompeo said in his statement.

Pompeo further added that “I urge Turkey to resolve the S-400 problem immediately in coordination with the United States. Turkey is a valued ally and an important regional security partner for the United States, and we seek to continue our decades-long history of productive defense-sector cooperation by removing the obstacle of Turkey’s S-400 possession as soon as possible.”

The Foreign Minister of Turkey said ,“We condemn and reject the sanctions of the United States and Washington’s one-sided sanctions were beyond understanding. Turkey will take the necessary steps against this decision which will inevitably affect our relations in a negative way and reciprocate in a way and time it sees fit.”

In a statement – Turkey claimed that the S-400s would not affect NATO systems and Ankara is ready for dialogue and diplomacy.

The Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov also expressed his views and said that “The sanctions were evidence of American “arrogance” and would hurt the US standing internationally. It’s yet more evidence of the arrogant attitude of the US toward international law and a manifestation of the illegitimate, unilateral and coercive measures that the US has practiced for many decades now all over the world,”

“Of course, I do not think this does any favours to the United States’ international reputation as a responsible participant in international negotiations, including in military-technical cooperation.” Lavrov added

The US sanctions will target Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries, the country’s military procurement agency and its chief Ismail Demir and three other senior officials. Punishment will block any assets the four officials may have in the US and bar their entry into the US.

In the last few months – Turkey had ignored warnings of the US and moved ahead with deployment and testing of the S-400 system.

One of the State Department’s most senior arms control officials Chris Ford said that “We very much regret that this has been necessary”

“Imposing sanctions on a NATO ally is not something we take lightly,” said Matthew Palmer, a senior official in the State Department’s Bureau of European Affairs.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that “Turkey was prepared to discuss with the US its ‘anxiety’ over the interoperability of the S-400s and the F-35s. The U.S. reacted cooly to the suggestion and Pompeo shortly thereafter pointedly did not meet with any Turkish government officials on a visit to Istanbul.”

Turkey tested the missile defense system in October for the first time and pentagon condemned the move of Turkey.

Ankara says it was forced to buy the Russian system because the US had refused to sell its American-made Patriot missiles. The Turkish government has also pointed to what it considers a double standard, as NATO member Greece uses Russian-made missiles.