Turkey Reportedly Preparing for US Sanctions over Missile Snub

Turkish Minister of Defense Hulu Akar said Ankara was preparing for potential sanctions by the United States over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, Reuters reports. “We are doing whatever normal bilateral agreements mandate.… Turkey is also making preparations for the potential implementation of CAATSA sanctions,” Akar told reporters, referring to a US provision for taking action against countries that aid America’s adversaries. He added that Ankara’s purchase of the S-400s was meant for defensive purposes only.  Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that Turkey was holding discussions with the US to set up a working group to assess the impact of the purchase. Washington and Ankara have sparred over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s insistence on buying the S-400s, as they are not interoperable with the military systems of NATO, of which Turkey is a member. The Pentagon has warned, for example, that the S-400 radar systems could track US-developed fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, making them more susceptible to attacks. Turkey is also interested in purchasing F-35s.