ISLAMABAD – The US has long promised to impose sanctions on Turkey asadditional punishment to the suspension of F-35 jet supplies over Ankara’sbuying of S-400 systems from Russia. Neither of the punishments stoppedAnkara from proceeding with the inked deal.
Clark Cooper, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairsat the US State Department, warned Thursday that Turkey still could beslapped with economic sanctions by Washington for going through with thepurchase of Russian S-400 air defence systemslink.
“They are not out of the woods on imposition of sanctions. That is still atplay”, Cooper said to reporters in Washington, DC.
The assistant secretary further noted that Turkey is “an interesting case”that can show other US partners whether they should or should not “seek[military equipment] acquisition from a near-peer adversary”. He added thatmilitary cooperation with Ankara remains strong despite the spat over theS-400s.
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Russia finished shipping the first portions of the S-400 air defencesystems to Turkeylinkinsummer 2019 under the contract, which was inked in December 2017, despitepressure from the US to drop the deal. Washington offered Ankara the optionto buy Patriot missile systems instead – the ones that the White Houseinitially refused to sell Turkey. The US claims S-400s are incompatiblewith NATO systems and pose threat to F-35 jets also ordered by Ankara.
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