Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has rejected a U.S. decision to impose sanctions against Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system, calling it "unacceptable,” a senior official said Monday.
"President Aliyev sees these unilateral sanctions against Turkey as unacceptable. Imposing sanctions on Turkey is unfair while some other NATO members are using similar air defense systems," the assistant to the president and foreign policy chief for Azerbaijan's Presidency Hikmet Hajiyev said.
According to him, the president sees the situation as a sign of double standards and illegality, he added.
"President Aliyev said he is certain that sanctions will not be able to stem Turkey's steps towards strengthening its defense capabilities," Hajiyev noted.
Reiterating the two countries’ strong ties, he recalled that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attendance at the victory parade in Azerbaijan on Dec. 10 was an example of the unity of the two countries.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday imposed sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, Anadolu Agency recalls.
