After almost one year and a half after the purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system by Turkey, US President Donald Trump announced on Monday sanctions on Ankara.
The new sanctions also include a ban on US export licenses and loans to Turkey's defense procurement agency and an asset freeze on its president, Ismail Demir, US media reports said.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Twitter that Washington, however, views Ankara as a "valued ally" and "an important regional security partner," adding that the historic cooperations between the two NATO allies could be continued by removing Turkey's S-400 possession.
"Turkey is a valued ally and an important regional security partner for the United States, and we seek to continue our decades-long history of productive defense-sector cooperation by removing the obstacle of Turkey's S-400 possession as soon as possible," Pompeo wrote on Twitter while announcing the sanctions.
However, Turkey's Foreign Ministry has condemned the "unilateral" sanctions, and blamed the United States for not accepting Ankara's proposal to resolve the issue through dialogue and diplomacy, while vowing to take the "necessary steps" against the sanctions.
The new sanctions also include a ban on US export licenses and loans to Turkey's defense procurement agency and an asset freeze on its president, Ismail Demir, US media reports said.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Twitter that Washington, however, views Ankara as a "valued ally" and "an important regional security partner," adding that the historic cooperations between the two NATO allies could be continued by removing Turkey's S-400 possession.
"Turkey is a valued ally and an important regional security partner for the United States, and we seek to continue our decades-long history of productive defense-sector cooperation by removing the obstacle of Turkey's S-400 possession as soon as possible," Pompeo wrote on Twitter while announcing the sanctions.
However, Turkey's Foreign Ministry has condemned the "unilateral" sanctions, and blamed the United States for not accepting Ankara's proposal to resolve the issue through dialogue and diplomacy, while vowing to take the "necessary steps" against the sanctions.
