The National. Senior US official told The National that S-400 acquisition ‘challenged membership in Nato’
Almost six months since Turkey acquired Russia’s S-400 air-defence missile system, the US government considers the issue far from settled and is threatening more sanctions on Ankara if it fails to address Western concerns.
“Turkey didn’t get away with it,” Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Clarke Cooper said on Wednesday at a briefing with reporters.
Mr Cooper told The National that possible sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) could be triggered and “Turkey has narrowing window to address this issue”.
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CAATSA was passed in 2017 with overwhelming bipartisan majority, and is designed to sanction any significant transactions with Russia.
When it came to Turkey, a fellow Nato member, US President Trump has delayed the imposition of such sanctions.
Ankara acquired the advanced missile defence system last July in a deal worth $500 million (Dh 1.8 billion). Read else
Joyce Karam
