Turkey Adds Russian-made S-400 Air Defense System, US Threatens To Extend Sanctions

Russia's S-400 Triumf missile defense system. (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.ru/Юрий ов)

JAKARTA - The United States (US) has warned Turkey that it will extend new sanctions if it proceeds with plans to re-purchase Russian-made air defense systems.

The warning comes after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last week confirmed that it still intends to acquire a new batch of S-400 missile defense systems, despite opposition from Washington.

President Erdogan is scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Sochi this Wednesday, a meeting that is expected to see the two countries reach some important decisions.

Talks are continuing between Russia and Turkey about the delivery of the second batch, with the two countries in the process of signing a new deal in the near future, Alexander Mikheyev, head of Russia's state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport, said in August.

"No one will be able to interfere in terms of what defense system we get, from which country, at what level," Erdogan told CBS News in an interview last week citing the Sept. 28 Daily Sabah, saying that Ankara intends to continue the purchase. Russian system. .

Meanwhile, the Office of the Chair of US Senate Foreign Relations Robert Menendez said last Wednesday sanctions are mandated by law for any entity that does significant business with Russia's military or intelligence sector.

"Every new purchase by Turkey should mean new sanctions," Menendez said on Twitter.

US officials on Sunday called on Turkey to refrain from buying additional Russian weapons, saying the move, which could deepen rifts between the two NATO allies, as well as trigger new US sanctions.

"We continue to explain to Turkey that any significant new Russian arms purchases will risk triggering CAATSA 231 sanctions separate from and in addition to those imposed in December 2020," a State Department spokesman said, referring to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act 2017. .

The spokesman also said the United States considers Turkey an ally and a friend and is looking for ways to strengthen their partnership, even when we disagree.

As is well known, Turkey's initial purchase of the S-400 strained their relations with the US and prompted penalties.

The move prompted Washington to remove Turkey from its new-generation F-35 Lightning II jet program before imposing sanctions on the Defense Industries Presidency (SSB), Turkey's chief, Ismail Demir, and three other employees in December.

The US argues that the system could be used by Russia to covertly obtain classified details on Lockheed Martin F-35 jets and is not compatible with NATO systems. Turkey, however, insists that the S-400 will not be integrated into NATO systems and will not pose a threat to the alliance.

Meanwhile, President Erdoan explained that Turkey was not given the option to buy American-made Patriot missiles and that the US had not delivered the F-35 stealth fighter jets despite a payment of US$1.4 billion.