Washington's sanctions over Turkey's purchase of the S-400 Russian air defense system and the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline will not dissuade Ankara from ensuring its national security, the country's Foreign Ministry said, noting that Ankara will take measures against these Washington's initiatives.
Underlining that the bill demonstrated the U.S. "disrespecting Turkey's sovereign decisions," the ministry said: "The Congress persists in adopting an irrational hostile attitude by unfairly blocking our participation to the F-35 program despite Turkey having fulfilled all its obligations."
"We remind once more that the language of threats and sanctions will never dissuade Turkey from resolutely taking steps to ensure its national security," the Turkish Foreign Ministry stressed.
"No one should doubt that necessary measures will be taken against these initiatives targeting Turkey," the Hurriyet Daily cited the ministry as saying.
The U.S. Senate on Dec. 17 overwhelmingly passed a $738 billion defense spending bill that includes a handful of anti-Turkey measures.
