Turkey warns US against harmful steps over Russian S-400 systems

Turkey has called on the United States to refrain from steps that could harm bilateral relations after the US State Department said Ankara would face “real and negative consequences” in case it presses ahead with plans to acquire advanced Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said a statement on Wednesday that the latest remarks by State Department Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus were not in line with the spirit and content of talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump during the G20 summit in the Japanese port city of Osaka last month.

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“We are inviting the US to avoid taking the wrong steps which would exclude diplomacy and dialogue and harm relations,” Aksoy noted.

He further noted that Ankara had still not received a response from Washington to its proposal to set up a working group to look into the impact of the S-400 purchase.

On Tuesday, Ortagus renewed US warning to Ankara that there would be consequences if it completes the purchase of the S-400.

“Those consequences include participation in the F-35 program,” she told reporters, adding that Turkish officials were fully aware of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

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The US Congress passed the CAATSA against Russia in August 2017 over allegations of interfering in the 2016 presidential election. The law, among other things, imposes sanctions on countries and companies that engage in contracts to purchase weaponry from Russia.

Erdogan said after meeting Trump last month that he was confident Turkey would not face sanctions for the S-400 purchase.

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A report says Turkey is preparing for possible sanctions by the United States against the country over its purchase of Russia’s advanced S-400 missile defense system.

After the meeting, Trump appeared convinced by the Turkish leader's assertion that former US president Barack Obama did not allow Ankara to buy Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.

“You can't do business that way. It's not good,” Trump said at the time.

Moscow and Ankara finalized an agreement on the delivery of the S-400 in December 2017.

Back in April 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in Ankara that they had agreed to expedite the delivery of the S-400. At the time, it was said that the delivery could be made between late 2019 and early 2020.

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President Trump blames Barack Obama for the current tension over Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 systems.

A number of NATO member states have criticized Turkey for purchase of the S-400, arguing the missile batteries are not compatible with those of the military alliance.

They also argue that the purchase could jeopardize Ankara’s acquisition of F-35 fighter jets and possibly result in US sanctions.

The S-400 is an advanced Russian missile system designed to detect, track, and destroy planes, drones, or missiles as far as 402 kilometers away. It has previously been sold only to China and India.

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Trump told his Turkish counterpart that purchasing Russian S-400 missile systems impedes expanding otherwise close ties between Ankara and Washington.

Ankara is striving to boost its air defense, particularly after Washington decided in 2015 to withdraw its Patriot surface-to-air missile system from Turkish border with Syria, a move that weakened Turkey’s air defense.

Before gravitating towards Russia, the Turkish military reportedly walked out of a $3.4-billion contract for a similar Chinese system. The withdrawal took place under purported pressure from Washington.

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