‘US sanctions attack Turkey’s sovereign rights’

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.

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.

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.​​​​​​​