WASHINGTON DC, KOMPAS.com – United States of America (US) is ready to impose some sanctions on Turkey for the acquisition air defense system S-400 Russia last year.
Five sources including two unnamed US officials said on Thursday it was a move that could worsen the already troubled relations between the US and NATO ally Russia. Reuters on Friday (11/12/2020).
The sanctions are expected to anger Ankara and will complicate relations between Turkey and the government of future president-elect Joe Biden.
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Some of the sanctions will target Turkey’s Defense Industry Presidency and its head, Ismail Demir, sources said.
The impact will be devastating, but said to be narrower than the severe scenario some analysts have outlined.
The Turkish lira weakened as much as 1.4 percent following news of Turkey’s sanctions being spread.
US sanctions could jeopardize a Turkish economy struggling with a slowdown due to the coronavirus, double-digit inflation and severely depleted foreign reserves.
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A senior Turkish official said the sanctions would backfire and damage relations between the two NATO members.
“Sanctions will not produce results, but they will be counterproductive. The sanctions will damage relations, “said the senior Turkish official.
“Turkey supports the resolution of this problem through diplomacy and negotiations. We will not accept unilateral coercion, “he added.
The decision will have an impact far beyond Turkey, sending a message to US partners around the world, who may consider buying Russian military equipment and have been repeatedly warned about US sanctions.
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The Turkish president, Tayyip Erdogan, hopes to prove the US threat will not occur.
He bet the relationship he developed with US President Donald Trump will protect Ankara from US sanctions.
After establishing a working relationship with Erdogan, Trump has long opposed US sanctions against Turkey despite advice from advisers.
Officials in his government internally recommended sanctions against Ankara in July 2019, when the Turkish government began taking S-400 deliveries from Russia, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
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However, this time it looks like sanctions are possible even if Trump doesn’t act, the source said.
The latest version of the US $ 740 billion (US $ 740 billion) annual defense authorization law will force Washington to impose sanctions within 30 days, which the Senate hopes will vote earlier this week.
One source said the timing of the sanctions decision was partly designed to precede legal approval.
Several sources said they expected the announcement of US sanctions on Friday (11/12/2020), but one other source said it could come at any time and possibly as soon as Thursday (10/12/2020).
Removed from the F-35 program
Even so, increasing US pressure is not without risks. Washington doesn’t want to push Erdogan closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose goal is to weaken and break up the NATO alliance.
Russia delivers several S-400 air defense systems ground-to-air last year and Turkey tested it as recently as October.
Ankara said the air defense system would not be integrated into the NATO system and would not pose a threat, and had called on a joint working group to resolve the issue.
However, the United States maintains that the S-400 does pose a threat, and last year announced it would exclude Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program at Ankara’s decision.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jet is the most advanced aircraft in the US arsenal and is used by NATO members and other US allies.
The US State Department can still change plans and expand or narrow the scope of planned sanctions against Turkey.
However, relevant sources say the time for the announcement of sanctions and their forms is short.
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