Foreign
TURKISH Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavuoglu warned on Wednesday that Ankara will retaliate against possible U.S. sanctions over its purchase of Russian missile defence systems.
Cavusoglu suggested that Ankara denying U.S. access to two military bases in Turkey would be among the options.
“Incirlik will come, Kurecik will too come (onto the agenda), everything else will come,” he said, referring to the air force base in the south and the military radar base in eastern Turkey.
“We will consider all alternatives,” the Turkish minister added.
Washington is opposed to NATO ally Ankara’s purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, arguing it will compromise the F-35 stealth fighter jet.
Turkey has been suspended from the F-35 joint manufacturing programme.
“If America has a positive approach towards us, we too will have a positive approach.
“If America has a negative approach towards us, we will definitely reciprocate,” Cavusoglu told in an interview with broadcaster A Haber.
Turkey tested the S-400 last month with U.S.-made F-16 jets in Ankara, local media reported. U.S. lawmakers have been urging President Donald Trump to sanction Ankara under a U.S. law known as Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
CAATSA requires that states which buy certain military hardware from Russia must be sanctioned.
Trump has so far refrained from imposing the sanctions on Turkey.
“The (U.S.) Congress members need to understand that they will get nowhere with impositions (on Turkey),” Cavusoglu added. (dpa/NAN)
– Dec. 11, 2019 @ 11:59 GMT |
Tags: Turkey to reciprocate if US imposes sanctions over S-400s
