Despite US sanctions, Moscow and Ankara affirm the continuation of their military cooperation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Russian-Turkish military cooperation will continue despite the US sanctions, while his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşolu, confirmed that relations with Moscow are not a substitute for its relationship with NATO, Europe and America.

At a press conference with his Turkish counterpart, after their talks in the Russian city of Sochi, Lavrov stressed that the relations between Moscow and Ankara are based on the common interests of the two countries.

"We affirmed our common determination to develop our technical and military cooperation," he added.

The Russian minister affirmed that President Vladimir Putin appreciates Turkey's determination to "continue cooperation in this field despite the illegal pressures on Washington."

For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey's relations with Russia are not an alternative to its relations with NATO, Europe or the United States.

Cavusoglu stressed that Ankara attaches great importance to these relations, stressing that the sanctions imposed on Turkey will not push it to abandon its positions.

sanctions

The United States imposed sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian "S-400" missile defense system (S-400), and the European Union's preparation of punitive measures due to Turkey's dispute with Greece and Cyprus over rights in the Mediterranean waters.

Washington prohibited granting any arms export permits to the Turkish government administration to purchase weapons, and the head of this administration and other officials were prevented from entering the US.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned these sanctions, saying that they “infringe” on the “sovereignty” of his country.

In the same context, Lavrov said that Russia and Turkey have agreed to continue joint work to normalize the situation in Libya.

Lavrov clarified that the two sides agreed to continue fully contributing to the normalization of the situation in Libya through comprehensive dialogue between all the main political forces in Libya.

The Turkish Foreign Minister also stressed that no one can ask Turkey to leave Libya, because there is an agreement between Ankara and the legitimate authorities in Libya.