Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
President Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said his country intends to buy a second batch of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia again. The move is said to have the potential to trigger new sanctions from United States of America.
“In the future, no one can interfere in terms of what kind of defense system we get, from any country at any level,” Erdogan was quoted as saying. Reuters from CBS News, Sunday (26/9).
“No one can intervene on that. We are the only ones who make decisions like this,” Erdogan reiterated.
Meanwhile, Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Moscow on Wednesday (30/9). They will reportedly discuss various issues including violence in northwestern Syria.
Turkey’s move could create a deeper rift with the United States, an ally of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and trigger new sanctions. Turkey is a member of NATO.
The US has so far imposed sanctions on the head of Turkey’s Defense Industries Directorate, Ismail Demir, and three other employees in December. The sanctions were imposed after Turkey purchased the first batch of S-400s.
Talks between Turkey and Russia are continuing over the delivery of a second wave of missile systems, which the US says will trigger new sanctions.
“We urge Turkey at every level and opportunity not to retain the S-400 system and refrain from purchasing additional Russian military equipment,” a State Department spokesman said.
“We continue to explain to Turkey that any significant purchase of new Russian weapons will risk triggering separate CAATSA 231 sanctions, in addition to the sanctions imposed in December 2020,” the spokesman continued.
The spokesman for the US State Department referred to the Act Against America’s Adversaries through Sanctions (CAATSA) of 2017.
He acknowledged that the US considers Turkey an ally and partner in seeking ways to strengthen the partnership even when things are not agreed upon.
Erdoan also said that US President Joe Biden had never raised the issue of Turkey’s human rights track record, which international rights advocacy groups find very troublesome.
He admitted that there was no discussion from the US President, Joe Biden, about human rights even when he met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels, last June.
“No, he didn’t (discussed). And because we don’t have that kind of problem in terms of freedom, Turkey is very free,” he said.
Turkey is one of the countries that often imprison journalists. According to figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the country even holds the top spot.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch says the Erdogan government has enacted laws that are contrary to international human rights obligations.
(isa/bac)
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