ANKARA – The crisis in US-Turkish relations, which already has putTurkey’s economy under massive strain, also risks souring militaryties between the two NATO allies, unleashing unknown geopoliticalconsequences.

US President Donald Trump last week announced new tariffs on Turkish steeland aluminium, causing the country’s currency to plummet, over hisfrustration with Ankara’s continued detention of American pastor AndrewBrunson.

Then on Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote in The NewYork Times that unless Washington can “reverse this trend of unilateralismand disrespect,” Turkey will “start looking for new friends and allies.”

The warning came after Erdogan held a phone call with Russian PresidentVladimir Putin to discuss economic and trade issues, as well as the Syriacrisis.

Military ties link between Turkeyand the US are already fraught over Washington´s support to Syrian Kurdishfighters known as the YPG, which Ankara sees as little more than anoffshoot of the “terrorist” Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

And tensions were heightened further after Turkey, despite being a NATOally, entered into an understanding to buy Russia’s advanced S-400 airdefence system.

Such a move would defy US sanctions on Moscow, and Turkey´s increasinglycosy relationship with Putin has alarmed both the US and the European Union.

Trump on Monday signed a defence authorisation act that notably prohibitsthe delivery of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Turkey if it goesahead with the S-400 purchase.

Retired Admiral James Stavridis, an ex-NATO supreme allied commander, urgedWashington and Ankara to do all they can to improve relations.

“To lose Turkey would be a geopolitical mistake of epic proportions,” hetold MSNBC on Monday.

“Hopefully we can pull them back, but Turkey has to make the first step atthis point.”

Trump’s national security advisor John Bolton met with Ambassador SerdarKilic of Turkey on Monday to discuss “Turkey’s continued detention ofPastor Andrew Brunson and the state of the US-Turkey relationship,” theWhite House said.

Turkey’s dialogue with Russia has led some to question its reliability as aNATO partner, and even whether it should remain in the alliance.

But Joshua Landis, director of Center for Middle East Studies, told AFPthat Turkey’s ejection from NATO would be disastrous.

“There’s no upside to kicking Turkey out, it’ll just force Turkey intoRussia’s infuence. – APP/AFP