Cavusoglu: Turkey to retaliate against U.S. sanctions

Ankara will take reciprocal steps if Washington imposes sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400 defenses, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

"If the United States takes any negative actions towards us, we will also take reciprocal steps," the minister, said when asked about possible U.S. sanctions in an interview broadcast on Turkish TV.

"We are determined on the S-400 issue. No matter what the results will be, we will not take a step back," Cavusoglu said, adding it is impossible to cancel the order.

Ankara and Washington have sparred publicly for months over Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 missile systems, expected to be delivered as early as next month. Washington has said that would trigger U.S. sanctions and sent a letter warning that Ankara would be pulled out of the F-35 jet program, Reuters recalls.

The S-400s are not compatible with NATO’s defense systems and Washington says they would compromise its F-35s, which Turkey also plans to buy. Turkey has proposed that the allies form a working group to asses the impact of the S-400s, but has yet to receive a response from the United States.