S-400 STATEMENT FROM US
Secretary of State Pompeo: The Law Requires Sanctions
* Photograph: Anadolu Agency / Archive
Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish
After the first parts of S-400 Long-Range Air Defense and Missile System have been delivered to Turkey, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stated that the country is required by the law to impose sanctions.
Speaking to the US-based Washington Post newspaper, Pompeo has referred to "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act."
'President Trump will comply with the law'
Commenting on the issue, the newspaper has indicated, "U.S. law mandates sanctions against countries that make "significant" deals with the Russian defense industry, but the Trump administration has sent mixed signals about how it might respond to Turkey."
As for Secretary of State Pompeo, he has signalled possible sanctions against Turkey over its purchase of S-400s from Russia: "The law requires that there be sanctions and I'm confident that we will comply with the law and President Trump will comply with the law."
Erdoğan: We are not preparing for war
As for President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, he came together with journalists in a closed meeting yesterday (July 14) and stated the following:
"We are not preparing for war by purchasing the S-400s. We are trying to guarantee peace and our own national security."
US warned of sanctions in a letter to Turkey
US Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan sent a letter to Turkey's Minister of National Defense on June 6, warning Turkey that it cannot have both the S-400s from Russia and the F-35 fighter jets from the US.
CLICK - Pentagon's Ultimatum Evokes Memories of 'Johnson Letter'
Turkey's purchase of the S-400sAfter the July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, Ankara and Moscow began talks for the purchase of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. Fikri Işık, the then Minister of Defense, said in April 2017 that Turkey "urgently" needs an air defense system and that NATO member countries did not make Turkey a "financially effective" offer. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Erdoğan announced in September 2017 that Turkey and Russia signed a contract for the purchase of the missiles. Then Minister of Defense Nurettin Canikli said that they will purchase two systems and four batteries from Russia. The Undersecretary for Defense Industry said that the delivery of the missiles is planned to be completed in the first quarter of 2020. Accordingly, the first parts of the S-400 Long-Range Air Defense and Missile Defense System were delivered to Turkey on July 12, 2019. |
(PT/SD)
* Sources: Washington Post, Politico