Sanctions deepened a rift between the two NATO allies which have been at odds over a variety of issues.
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has called on the upcoming Biden administration in the United States to engage in a dialogue with Ankara and to review a decision to sanction the country over its purchase of an advanced Russian air missile defence system.
“We are saying let’s not break things up in this way. Let’s sit down and talk and find a solution,” Akar said on Wednesday.
That request comes even though Washington has made clear that there can be no waiver of the sanctions until Ankara disposes of the Russian technology.
Speaking to reporters late on Wednesday, Akar would not be drawn into a question on whether Turkey would consider disposing of the Russian S-400 system amid US pressure. But he said he was hopeful that a solution can be found “through common sense before coming to that point”.
“It is a very problematic situation to turn back from the point we have come to. We invite [the US] to distance themselves from threatening language such as sanctions,” Akar told journalists in Ankara.
“We want the solution of problems through dialogue. If the US side wants a solution, a solution could be found with work on the technical level,” he said.
Second consignment of the S-400s?
Akar also said talks with Russia on acquiring a second consignment of the S-400 were continuing.
Ties between the two allies took a turn for the worse when in April 2017, Turkey signed a contract with Russia to acquire the state-of-the-art missile shield after its protracted efforts to buy an air defence system from the US proved futile.
US officials have voiced opposition to the contract, claiming it would be incompatible with NATO systems and would expose F-35 jets to possible Russian subterfuge. Washington had previously kicked Ankara out of its F-35 stealth jet programme, saying their use alongside the Russian technology would jeopardise the safety of the fighter jets. In mid-December, the US sanctioned four Turkish officials under a law known as CAATSA, which is aimed at pushing back on Russian influence. The sanctions, which also included a ban on export licences to Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries, were the first time the law was used to punish a NATO ally.
Source: aljazeera.com
