New US sanctions anger Turkey
ISTANBUL, Turkey (North Press) – Russia criticized the United States on Tuesday over its imposition of sanctions on Turkey due to its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system. Iran condemned this move, describing it as contempt for international law.
The US issued sanctions against NATO ally Turkey over its deployment of a S-400 Russian-made missile defense system, and the Turkish lira has affected by this, according to observers.
On Monday, the US applied new sanctions targeting Turkey’s President of Defense Industries Ismail Demir, and employees Mustafa Alber Deniz, Serhat Gançolu, and Faruk Yigit.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described these sanctions as “another manifestation of an arrogant attitude towards international law.”
“A manifestation of illegitimate, unilateral coercive measures that the United States has been using for many years, already decades, left and right,” Lavrov continued.
Despite US threats to impose economic sanctions on Ankara on July 25, 2019, Turkey completed the first phase of the receipt of the Russian defense system.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned the sanctions imposed by the US on Turkey, describing them as contempt for international law.
“US addiction to sanctions and contempt for international law at full display again. We strongly condemn recent US sanctions against Turkey and stand with its people and government,” Zarif tweeted.
These US sanctions coincide with pressure from the European Union on Turkey as a result of its gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, while giving Turkey one opportunity after another to make concessions.
“The United States made clear to Turkey at the highest levels and on numerous occasions that its purchase of the S-400 system would endanger the security of US military technology and personnel and provide substantial funds to Russia’s defense sector, as well as Russian access to the Turkish armed forces and defense industry,” the US Secretary of State’s statement read.
Angry reactions
These sanctions provoked angry reactions in Turkey, as its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his disappointment over the United States’ imposition of sanctions on Turkey.
President Erdogan said on Friday that US sanctions over Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 missiles would be “disrespectful” to their NATO ally.
“From our NATO ally the United States, we expect support in our battle against terrorist organizations … not sanctions,” Erdogan stated.
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that Turkey will continue to take steps that would help it to reach its goals in the defense industries.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry called on the US to “revise the unjust sanctions [and] to turn back from this grave mistake as soon as possible. Turkey is ready to tackle the issue through dialogue and diplomacy in a manner worthy of the spirit of alliance.”
The ministry warned that US sanctions “will inevitably negatively impact our relations, and Turkey will retaliate in a manner and time it sees appropriate.”
Abandoning a Russian project
A Turkish source, who preferred not to be named, told North Press that “the American administration is trying to pressure Turkey to break its association with Russia and Iran by threatening to support the opposition at times and imposing sanctions on it at other times.”
Despite the imposition of sanctions on important persons in Turkey, “they did not include Turkish economic institutions, and thus their impact on the Turkish economy is weak,” according to the source.
Even if the administration of future president Joe Biden follows the same US sanctions, this will not affect it as long as it concerns people and does not affect government economic institutions, he said.
Another source concerned with the Turkey (who preferred not to be mentioned) saw that the sanctions are a message to Turkey to abandon the Russian project and return to NATO.
“These sanctions may develop according to the challenges, but an alternative must be found, and if not, then Turkey will stick to the deal, and this depends on the US,” he said.
The source pointed out that Turkey believes that the greatest pressure on it is the process of withdrawing the NATO air defense system from Turkey, which is located in the Diyarbakir and Adana bases.
In 2015, the Netherlands and Germany withdrew their defense systems in Turkey, and the US announced in the same year that it would withdraw its defense system because Turkey does not need it.
“Turkish military sources show that Turkey is in dire need of these systems and that hidden strategic and political reasons made these countries withdraw them,” he added.
The decision to withdraw these systems dates back to January 2016, and thus the withdrawal of the US Patriot air defense system comes against the background of Turkey’s military interference in Syria, according to the source.
Mutual interests
A specialist in Turkish affairs (who preferred not to be named) believes that sanctions are mutual interests between the US and Turkey.
Through the sanctions, the United States will achieve its goal of depriving Turkey of owning the new system, while Ankara has dealt with a bond and expanded the partnership with the Russian side, according to the specialist.
Following the US sanctions, the Turkish lira witnessed a decline of 1% against the dollar.
Before the US announcement, the lira was trading at 7.9 against the dollar, amid observers expecting it to collapse due to the imposition of these sanctions.