US announces fresh sanctions on Turkey for purchasing S-400 air defense systems from Russia

Washington/Ankara: – The United States has imposed economic sanctions against Turkey, who went ahead with the purchase of the S-400 air defence system, from Russia, without paying heed to the US warnings. US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo announced the sanctions against Turkey. Secretary of State Pompeo said that the sanctions are being imposed as these Turkish transactions with Russia are posing a threat to the United States as well as the NATO countries. Whereas the Turkish foreign ministry has threatened that the United States has made a serious mistake by imposing these sanctions, there certainly will be retaliation from Turkey.

In 2017, Turkey signed the agreement to purchase the S-400 system from Russia. Turkey chose S-400 over the US air defence system Patriot. The US-Turkey relations were disturbed after this decision taken by Turkish President Recep Erdogan. Despite repeated warnings issued by the United States, Turkey did not back out of the deal. Last year, batteries of the S-400 system reached Turkey in July. After that, the United States expelled Turkey from F-35 cooperation. Analysts claimed that this US action was a direct warning for Turkey.

But the United States, infuriated due to the continued defence cooperation with Russia, by Turkey, a NATO member, started preparations to impose sanctions against Turkey. Only last week the US senate cleared the proposal to impose sanctions against Turkey. On Monday, State Secretary, Pompeo officially announced the sanctions. The S-400 deployment in Turkey poses a threat to the US military technologies and soldiers deployed in Turkey. At the same time, The Secretary of State criticised that Turkey has funded the Russian defence industry with this transaction. The United States has imposed sanctions against government-linked arms manufacturing company and organisation and three officials.

Turkey threatened that there would be retaliation at the right time while criticising the US sanctions. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif denounced the US sanctions imposed against Turkey. Zarif also criticised that the United States has a bad habit of imposing sanctions and violating international rules.