Turkey dismisses US threat about buying Russian S-400 air defense system
Turkey does not appear to be budging from its purchase of S-400 air-defense missiles from Russia despite US threats to cancel delivery of F-35 jets Turkey has ordered.
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has brushed off America’s threat to renege on the sale of F-35 fighter-bombers if Turkey goes ahead with its purchase of the Russian S-400 air-defense missiles.
“Turkey buys anything it needs and nobody can intervene,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said today. “If we need S-400s, we will buy them.”
His remarks came a day after US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters of the consequences of Turkey’s acquiring a Russian weapon that is not compatible with NATO systems. “We have clearly warned Turkey that its purchase of S-400s will result in a reassessment of Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program and risk other potential, future arms transfers to Turkey as well as lead to potential sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act,” Palladino said.
The 2017 law, which is intended to punish Iran, North Korea and Russia, prohibits other countries from trading with the Russian arms industry.
