The US slapped sanctions on NATO ally Turkey following its acquisition of the Russian missile protect in 2017.
Turkey and the US have began talks to kind a joint working group to debate sanctions that Washington imposed on its NATO ally over its buy of a sophisticated Russian air defence system, based on Turkey’s overseas minister.
In a year-end information convention assessing Turkish overseas coverage, Mevlut Cavusoglu additionally instructed journalists on Wednesday that Turkey needs “more healthy” relations with the US beneath President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.
Ties between the 2 allies took a flip for the more severe when in April 2017, Turkey signed a contract with Russia to amass the state-of-art missile protect after its protracted efforts to purchase an air defence system from the US proved futile.
US officers have voiced opposition to the contract, claiming it could be incompatible with NATO programs and would expose F-35 jets to doable Russian subterfuge. Washington had beforehand kicked Ankara out of its F-35 stealth jet programme, saying their use alongside the Russian expertise would jeopardise the protection of the fighter jets.
Turkey, nonetheless, careworn that the S-400 wouldn’t be built-in into NATO programs, and poses no menace to the alliance or its armaments.
However that didn’t cease the US from asserting sanctions earlier this month to penalise Turkey, beneath the Countering America’s Adversaries By means of Sanctions Act (CAATSA) which goals to push again on Russian affect. It was the primary time that CAATSA had been used to penalise a US ally.
The sanctions goal Turkey’s Defence Business Directorate (SSB), its chief Ismail Demir and three different senior officers. In addition they embrace a ban on most export licenses, loans and credit to the company.
Cavusoglu mentioned Turkey had itself proposed a joint working group on the sanctions.
“Now the proposal got here from the US. As we naturally at all times favour dialogue, we mentioned sure, and negotiations started on the stage of consultants,” Cavusoglu mentioned throughout the assembly.
He additionally mentioned imposing sanctions is a misstep each politically and legally. “It’s an assault on our sovereign rights,” he careworn.
Ties between the allies have been suffering from quite a few different disputes, together with the jailing of Americans and native consular workers, US help for Syrian Kurdish fighters thought of “terrorists” by Turkey and the continued US residence of a Muslim chief accused of masterminding the 2016 coup try in Turkey.
“In 2020, our ties with the US have been overshadowed by current issues,” Cavusoglu mentioned. “In 2021, we’re ready to steer our relationships with the brand new administration in a more healthy method and we’re ready to take steps to beat current issues.”
Earlier this month, Cavusoglu had mentioned Turkey was contemplating doable steps to reciprocate in opposition to the sanctions.