'US sanctions on Turkey arrogantly flout int'l law'

By Emre Gurkan Abay

MOSCOW (AA) – The US decision to impose sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense is a typical show of American arrogance and lawlessness, said Russia’s defense minister on Monday.

"Of course, it's yet another manifestation of an arrogant attitude toward international law and the use of illegitimate unilateral forcible measures the US has used left and right for many years, even decades," Sergey Lavrov told a news conference in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital Sarajevo.

Such an approach does nothing for the credibility of the US as a responsible participant in the international arena, including military-technical cooperation, he added.

The US Treasury Department 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 (SSB) Presidency, including its head Ismail Demir and three other officials.

US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the SSB knowingly engaged in a significant transaction with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms export entity, by procuring the S-400 surface-to-air missile system.

"The sanctions include a ban on all US export licenses and authorizations to SSB and an asset freeze and visa restrictions on Dr. Ismail Demir, SSB’s president, and other SSB officers," he added.

In a written statement Turkey's Foreign Ministry denounced the sanction decision.

"We condemn and reject the decision to impose unilateral sanctions against Turkey as announced today by the US in the context of Turkey’s acquisition of S-400 air defense systems," the ministry said.

President Donald Trump said in June 2019 that his predecessor President Barack Obama had treated Turkey unfairly when Ankara requested to purchase US Patriot missile defense systems.

Before the decision on Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said its ally the US should support it, not put sanctions on it.