Following talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Blinken also voiced concern over Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. The two top diplomats also discussed issues relating to Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey's relations with Greece and other matters, Sputnik reported.
Cavusoglu, for his part, told Blinken that the S-400 purchase from Russia was a "done deal".
The United States has been vociferous in criticising Turkey's decision to buy the Russian systems, saying they are incompatible with NATO security standards and endanger US military technology, particularly when it comes to the operation of US-made F-35 jets.
Washington subsequently suspended Turkey's participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter partnership.
In December, the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) because of the acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems.
The punitive measures targeted four affiliates of the Turkish Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), including its head, Ismail Demir.
In 2017, Ankara signed an agreement with Moscow preferring Russia's defence systems to the US Patriot system after the US and Turkey failed to reach a consensus over technology transfers. In 2019, Turkey received several S-400 battalions worth $2.5 billion.
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Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has told United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Ankara’s purchase of a Russian missile-defence system was “a done deal”, in their first face-to-face meeting since the latter took office.
ReplyDeleteNATO allies Turkey and the US have been at odds over a host of issues in recent years, including Syria, human rights and the S-400 system acquisition, over which Washington has sanctioned Ankara and removed it from its F-35 fighter jet programme.