MOSCOW – Turkey is ready to respond to possible US sanctions, for example,those over Ankara’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 Triumf air defensesystems, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

“If it [the United States] wants to punish Turkey with sanctions, Turkeywill react in another way, not like Russia or other states… We willrespond. You cannot threaten us. The United States threatens many countriessaying ‘Do not buy gas of one or another country.’ That does not work,”Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Zeit Online.

Turkey along with Russia has achieved noticeable progress in the settlementof the Syrian conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

“Within a year and a half, we together with Russia achieved progress —in ensuring the ceasefire regime and [the creation of] de-escalationzones — in order to find a political solution [of the Syrian conflict],”the minister stated.

Cavusoglu expressed hope that Russia and Iran would put an endto violations of the agreements reached in Astana and Sochi.

Earlier this week, head of US European Command and Supreme Allied CommanderEurope Curtis Scaparrotti said that the United States hoped that Turkeywould change its decision on Russian S-400 systemslink>andwarned that Ankara might face consequences over the move.

“Let those who criticize us for purchasing the S-400 to fight terrorismlook at themselves. Why are they silent about the S-300 which Greece has?And they tell us that this is a wrong step. What kind of alliance, whatkind of solidarity is this? This would fly, but not with us,” Presidentof Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoganlink>saidin parliament.