UPDATE ‘US sanctions attack Turkey’s sovereign rights’

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS OF TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER

By Havva Kara Aydin and Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - The US' unilateral sanctions attack sovereign rights of Turkey and other countries, the Turkish foreign minister said Thursday.

In an interview with Turkish news broadcaster 24 TV, Mevlut Cavusoglu said relations between the two countries could normalize if the US meets Turkey’s expectations.

He stressed that the sanction decision is a wrong step both legally and politically.

Noting that Turkey took the S-400 defense system decision before the US passed legislation making the sanctions possible, he said it is also extremely wrong to impose sanctions on an ally.

About the new US administration, he said Joe Biden knows Turkey’s expectations, because the issues that negatively affect our relations did not start during the Trump period. These issues surfaced during the Barack Obama term.

He said if the US continues to support the YPG/PKK terror groups, tensions between the two countries will continue.

The minister said Turkey urged the US to not cooperate with one terror group to eliminate another (Daesh).

He also underlined Turkey’s expectations from the US regarding the FETO terror group, saying the main perpetrator of the July 15 coup attempt has been living in the US.

The US needs Turkey strategically and in terms of regional policies, he added.

The US on Monday imposed sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

The sanctions, coming under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), target Turkey’s Defense Industries Presidency (SSB), including Ismail Demir, the head of the SSB, and three other officials.

In April 2017, when its protracted efforts to buy an air defense system from the US proved fruitless, Turkey signed a contract with Russia to acquire the S-400 shield.

The US officials have voiced opposition to their deployment, claiming they would be incompatible with NATO systems and would expose F-35 jets to possible Russian subterfuge.

Turkey, however, stressed that the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems, and poses no threat to the alliance or its armaments.

Turkish officials have repeatedly proposed a working group to examine the technical compatibility issue.