Turkey's foreign minister has reiterated that the country intends to respond to any U.S. sanctions over its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.
However, Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkey's TGRT television in an interview Monday that President Donald Trump is reluctant to sanction Turkey.
Turkey began taking delivery of parts of the S-400 earlier of this month despite strong objections from the United States, which says the systems are incompatible with NATO and pose a threat to the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet program.
FILE - In this March 29, 2019, photo, a U.S. F-35A fighter jet prepares to land at Chungju Air Base in Chungju, South Korea. The White House says Turkey can no longer be part of the American F-35 fighter jet program. In a written statement, the White House said Wednesday that Turkey’s decision to buy the Russian S-400 air defense system “renders its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible.” (Kang Jong-minNewsis via AP)
Last week, Washington suspended Turkey from the F-35 program and could impose sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA.
Cavusoglu said: "If the United States takes negative steps or goes further, we will have a response."