US sanctions Turkey over purchase of Russian missile system
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The United States on Monday announced sanctions against Turkey's military procurement agency for the purchase of S-400 missile system from Russia.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the sanctions target Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) for "knowingly engaging in a significant transaction with Rosoboronexport, Russia's main arms export entity."
The sanctions include "a ban on all US export licenses and authorizations to SSB and and an asset freeze and visa restrictions on Dr Ismail Demir, SSB's president, and other SSB officers."
The SSB was established in its original form in 1985 as part of Turkey's defense ministry. Demir was appointed as its president in April 2014. He had previously worked as as general manager of Turkish Airlines' maintenance and repair unit, according to Reuters.
The defense body has carried out hundreds of projects, including jet engine development and ammunition production. It has been tasked to decrease reliance on foreign technology.
"Today's action sends a clear signal that the United States will fully implement (US law) and will not tolerate significant transactions with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors," Pompeo said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan brokered a $2.5 billion deal with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in 2017 for the sale of the S-400 missile system. This angered the US, and Turkey’s other NATO allies, who say the Russian defense system poses a risk to NATO and the US’ F-35 combat aircraft.
Ankara accepted the first batch of the missiles in the summer of 2019.
US President Donald Trump prepared the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in August 2017, but has not sanctioned Turkey over its purchases until now.
Pompeo said that the US had warned Ankara “at the highest levels” on “numerous occasions” about the purchases.
Turkey should "resolve the S-400 problem immediately in coordination with the United States," Pompeo added.
Turkey's foreign ministry has condemned the "unilateral" sanctions, blaming the US for "refusal to accept our proposals to resolve the issue through dialogue and diplomacy" in the past.
It added that Ankara will take "necessary steps" against the sanctions, according to a statement published on Monday night
"Turkey will not refrain from taking measures that it deems to be necessary to ensure national security," it said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has condemned the "coercive" sanctions as "illegitimate."
"This is, of course, another manifestation of an arrogant attitude towards international law, a manifestation of illegitimate, unilateral coercive measures that the United States has been using for many years, already decades, left and right," Lavrov said according to Russian news agencies.
Updated 10.18pm