Washington Calls on Ankara Not to Retain Russian S-400 Missile System

World

February 17th, 11:26am

Ankara - Saeed Abdulrazek

The funeral of a Turkish soldier who was killed in northern Iraq. AP

Washington continues to pressure Turkey over the Russian S-400 missile defense system deal. In its latest attempt in this regard, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke by phone with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Monday. Blinken urged Turkey not to retain the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system. The US demand comes following previous calls by the Trump administration warning Ankara against the deal. It also precedes the upcoming two-day meeting of the NATO defense ministers via video conferencing. The ministers will discuss the Turkish practices, including the purchase of S-400 missile system, the insistence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on reinforcing the country's defense system, and the Turkish military interventions in Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as its “violations” in the Eastern Mediterranean. The administration of US President Joe Biden announced that Ankara has only one option and that is to abandon the missile system deal. "We will use the S-400 system in the same way that other NATO member states with existing S-300 systems use them within the NATO alliance," Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, hinting at Greece. While Washington dismissed the suggestion, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the minister’s comments had been misunderstood. “The United States has so far said it will not engage in any negotiations over this issue (S-400s). Turkey will not turn back from the Russian S-400 issue,” Kalin said. Blinken emphasized the longstanding importance of the US-Turkish bilateral relationship, their shared interest in countering terrorism, and the importance of democratic institutions, inclusive governance, and respect for human rights. The US official also expressed condolences for the deaths of Turkish hostages in northern Iraq and reaffirmed the US view that the PKK terrorists are responsible.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2811121/washington-calls-ankara-not-retain-russian-s-400-missile-system