TEHRAN – Turkey will retaliate if the United States imposes sanctions overAnkara’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, ForeignMinister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday, adding that any such sanctionswould be unacceptable.

“If the United States slaps sanctions, we will respond in kind. A[relevant] step can also be taken with regard to the Incirlik airbase. Thisis a natural position under these circumstances, not a threat andblackmail,” Cavusoglu told the Turkish news TV channel TGRT Haber.

Cavusoglu stated that President Donald Trump does not want to imposesanctions and added that he did not expect the US administration to takesuch action.

Trump is expected to hold a meeting Tuesday with GOP senators at the WhiteHouse to discuss potential sanctions against Turkey. Some Republicanlawmakers have called on Trump to enact sanctions on Turkey under theCountering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which aimsto prevent countries from purchasing military equipment from Russia.

The sanctions law, which Trump signed in 2017, mandates that the presidentchoose five among a range of 12 sanctions, from banning visas and denyingaccess to the US-based Export-Import Bank to harsher options such asbarring transactions with the US financial system and denying exportlicenses.

The foreign minister said the F-35 jet program partners do not agree withUS decision to suspend Turkey from the program, noting that Turkey willmeet its defense needs elsewhere if Washington does not give Ankara theF-35 jets.

The S-400 will become active early next year, the foreign minister stressed.

Cavusoglu discussed the issue of Turkey’s suspension from the F-35 programin a phone call with US counterpart Mike Pompeo on Saturday.