Pompeo calls Turkish FM to express dismay over purchase of Russian S-400
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed his displeasure over Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense system – despite Washington’s objection and threat of sanctions – during a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The development was announced Saturday in an official statement by the US Department of State, which added that Pompeo also discussed Ankara’s “security concerns” along the Turkey-Syria border while reiterating Washington’s “obligation to ensure the protection of local partners working with the United States” in Syria.
Reuters also cited Turkish foreign ministry sources as saying that the two top diplomats also discussed the US F-35 fighter jet program, just two days after Washington confirmed Turkey’s expulsion from the program that involved joint manufacture of the advance war plane and training of Turkish pilots to fly the aircraft.
"The US and other F-35 partners are aligned in this decision to suspend Turkey from the program and initiate the process to formally remove Turkey from the program," said US Under Secretary Of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord last week.
Used by NATO and other US allies, the F-35 stealth fighter jet is dubbed the world's most advanced jet fighter. Washington has expressed concerns that deploying the S-400 with the F-35 would allow Russia to gain too much inside information of the stealth system.
"The F-35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities," the White House said in a statement last Wednesday.
Ankara, however, reacted by blasting Washington’s measures against Turkey with a foreign ministry statement saying: “This one-sided step neither complies with the spirit of alliance nor is it based on legitimate reasons.”
“It is unfair to remove Turkey, one of the partners in the F-35 program,” the statement added, dismissing as “invalid” American claims that the advanced Russian air defense system S-400 would be a danger to the F-35s.
“We invite the US to take back this error, which will pave the way to irreparable damage to our strategic relations,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry further emphasized.
Meanwhile, several US Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed the Trump administration on Thursday to impose sanctions on Ankara over the purchase of the Russian S-400 system.
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