Turkey “condemns and rejects” the decision of the United States to impose sanctions restrictions against Ankara over the purchase of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM).

This is stated in a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.  

“We condemn and reject the decision to impose unilateral sanctions against Turkey, which the United States announced today, in connection with the acquisition of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems by Turkey,” the message says.

As the ministry stressed, Washington's statements "that the S-400 complexes will endanger the NATO system are not substantiated from a technical point of view."

Ankara also promised to take retaliatory steps, which will "negatively" affect bilateral relations.

“In connection with this decision, Turkey will take the necessary steps on its part, which will negatively affect our relations.

It will choose the nature and timing of the response, based on its own ideas of expediency.

Turkey will never refuse to take measures necessary to protect its national security, ”the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

Meanwhile, Ismail Demir, the head of the Republic's Defense Industry Department (both he and the organization were subject to sanctions), already wrote on his Twitter page that Washington's measure will not interfere with the country's defense industry and will not affect the actions of the Turkish authorities.

“Any decision made abroad regarding me or our institution will not change my position or the position of my team.

This will in no way interfere with the Turkish defense industry, ”the Turkish agency Anadolu quoted him as saying.

Cumhurbaşkanımız @ RTErdogan'ın liderliğinde Tam Bağımsız Savunma Sanayii hedefimizde kararlılıyız.



Şahsım veya kurumumuza yönelik yurt dışında alınan her hangi bir karar, benim ve ekibimin duruşunu değiştirmeyecek;

Türk savunma sanayiini hiç bir şekilde engelleyemeyecektir.

- Ismail Demir (@IsmailDemirSSB) December 14, 2020

Demir also noted that Ankara is committed to achieving full independence for the national defense industry.

On the eve of the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey, the country's Defense Industry Directorate and four Turkish officials, including the head of the department Ismail Demir, fell under the restrictions.

This was reported on the website of the United States Treasury Department.

As noted by the American side, the restrictions are introduced in accordance with the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The US State Department noted that the sanctions against the Defense Industry Directorate imply, among other things, "a ban on the issuance of special licenses and permits to the United States for the export of any goods or technology," as well as "a ban on the issuance of loans or credits by US financial institutions in the amount of more than $ 10 million. within any 12 month period. "

  • US State Department building

  • Reuters

  • © Joshua Roberts

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Washington's measure "another manifestation of an arrogant attitude towards international law, a manifestation of illegitimate, unilateral, coercive measures" that the American side has been using for decades "left and right."

According to the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, this does not add to the credibility of the United States in the international arena.

Iran also condemned the decision of the United States to impose restrictions on Turkey.

As Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif noted on his Twitter on December 15, "once again, the US addiction to sanctions, as well as their contempt for international law, is manifested in all its glory."

US addiction to sanctions and contempt for international law at full display again.



We strongly condemn recent US sanctions against Turkey and stand with its people and government. # NeighborsFirst

- Javad Zarif (@JZarif) December 15, 2020

The situation around the S-400

Recall that the United States has repeatedly threatened the use of restrictions against the Turkish side due to the acquisition and deployment of Russian S-400 complexes.

In late October, Clark Cooper, US Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs overseeing the arms trade, told reporters that Ankara is at risk of sanctions as it continues to work with air defense systems purchased from Russia.

The State Department spokesman then called on Turkey to "remove", "decommission" the S-400 system and "simply not include it" in its armed forces, not to put it on alert.

Cooper made such a statement after Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that tests of Russian S-400s in Turkey are continuing, stressing that Ankara is not going to take into account the US position on this issue.

This was reported by the Anadolu agency.

In addition, in another statement at the Justice and Development Party congress in Malatya, Erdogan reminded the United States that Ankara will not abandon the S-400 and is not afraid of American restrictions.

“You don't understand who you are dealing with.

Do not delay the imposition of sanctions, whatever they may be, the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet Daily News quotes Erdogan as saying.

- We took steps to acquire (American fighters. -

RT

) F-35, we paid the money, you did not supply it.

You told us to return the S-400 to Russia, but we are not a tribal state, we are Turkey. "

It is worth noting that the need to introduce anti-Turkish sanctions for the purchase of Russian S-400s is also mentioned in the bill for the US defense budget. 

“No later than 30 days after the date of entry into force of this law, the US President must impose five or more of the sanctions listed in Art.

235 of the Law "On Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions" (22 USC 9529), against all persons who knowingly participated in the acquisition of the S-400 air defense system, "the bill says.

  • Soldiers of the turkish army

  • Reuters

  • © Murad Sezer

It is also noted that in the interests of US national security "to help NATO allies in the acquisition and deployment of modern military equipment capable of interacting with the forces of the alliance."

As emphasized in the document, Washington is interested in weakening the dependence of its supporters on "Russian-made defense products."

"Wrong step"

As the director of the Center for the Study of a New Turkey, Yuri Mavashev, noted, the sanctions imposed by Washington against Ankara due to the purchase of Russian S-400s are "an illegal step from the point of view of international law."

“These are unilateral steps designed to punish the republic.

However, Turkey did not violate legal norms by acquiring the air defense system.

It is an independent state that can choose what to buy and from whom.

The United States wants Ankara to be under their control, but Turkey emphasizes its sovereignty and its right to determine policy, including in the field of national defense, ”the expert said in a conversation with RT.

American political scientist Malek Dudakov, in turn, believes that the United States imposed sanctions against Turkey right now, in part because a little less than a month ago, Erdogan did not find time to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

“This became a kind of trigger in the deteriorating relations between the two countries, after which the current administration decided to take revenge while it was still in power.

This is the final trick with the ears of the US authorities on the eve of the inauguration of Democrat Joe Biden, "the expert said in an interview with RT.

Dudakov also noted that the current situation, when one NATO country imposes restrictions on another state that is part of the alliance, demonstrates "a high level of contradictions within the bloc."

“If the United States continues to impose sanctions on Turkey, such actions will exacerbate the division within the North Atlantic Alliance,” the analyst said.

According to him, since the decision to apply sanctions against Turkey for the purchase of the S-400 was made by the current administration of the White House, it is possible that with the arrival of Democrat Joe Biden, this measure may be canceled.

“This is a step by the outgoing administration that could be canceled by the new team after Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021.

However, it is also impossible to exclude the possibility that restrictions will be preserved, "the analyst noted, stressing that" in any scenario, one cannot count on a warming of relations between Turkey and the United States. "

  • President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan

  • Reuters

  • © Presidential Press Office / Handout

Dudakov believes that Ankara's response to the American sanctions "should be expected only if the new Biden administration does not cancel this decision and does not try to establish a dialogue with Turkish partners."

Mavashev, in turn, stressed that the restrictions, even if they are not canceled by the new administration of the White House, "are not capable of causing significant damage to Turkey, since they are limited in nature." 

“This will not critically affect the economic processes of the republic, but it is a kind of apotheosis of Washington's sanctions pressure on Ankara over the purchase of the S-400,” the analyst concluded.