ISTANBUL – Turkey on Sunday dismissed US threats of sanctions if it wentahead with a Russian missile purchase, saying it would not renege on apledge to Moscow.
Washington has warned its NATO ally for months that Ankara’s adoption ofRussian S-400 missile technology alongside US F-35 fighters would pose athreat to the jets and endanger Western defence.
The US has said it will halt a joint F-35 programme with Turkey if itacquires the Russian missile defence system. A US law furthermore providesfor sanctions on any country concluding arms deals with Russian companies.
“The US threats of sanctions shows that they don’t know Turkey,” VicePresident Fuat Oktay told Kanal 7 television.
“The decision on the S-400 has been taken. Once a pact has been signed,one’s word given, Turkey respects it,” he said.
The S-400 purchase is one dispute fuelling tensions between two nationsalso at odds over US support for Syrian Kurdish militias which Ankarabrands as terrorists and Turkish backing for US foe Venezuela.
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Ankara said the first deliveries of the S-400 are scheduled for June orJuly.
Last month, after repeated warnings, the United States said Turkey’sdecision to buy the S-400 system was incompatible with it remaining part ofthe emblematic F-35 jet programme.
Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35A fighter jets, with pilots alreadytraining in the United States.
Washington has placed a freeze on the joint manufacturing operations withTurkey, and suggested Ankara might be able to obtain a US missile defencesystem if it forgoes the one on offer from Moscow. -APP/AFP
