Turkey has threatened to retaliate if U.S. imposes sanctions on Ankara over it latest acquisitions of S-400 missile defenses from Russia. Turkish foreign minister termed U.S. sanctions threats as unacceptable and called on President Donald Trump to avoid such measures.
Ankara began receiving deliveries of the surface-to-air S-400 systems earlier this month. U.S. in turn threatened the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally from its F-35 stealth fighter program over security concerns. The U.S. announced last week it was beginning the process of removing Turkey from the program for the F-35 stealth jets, the most superior aircraft in the U.S. munitions store, which is used by the NATO and other partner countries.
U.S. says it is concerned that S-400 software will compromise its F-35s to the benefit of Russia with several Republican and Democratic U.S. lawmakers have pressing for sanctions on Turkey following the S-400 purchases.
Turkish foreign minister was quoted saying that Turkey is not a country that will bow down to those who show a animosity towards its.
Moscow and Ankara are in consultations in the area of the licensed production of the S-400 air defense system component parts citing Turkey is interested in the latest Russian combat modules, air defense systems of various ranges, as well as anti-tank systems.
