US calls on Turkey to give up Russian weapons

The United States has reiterated the call to Turkey to withdraw from its supply with the Russian missile defence system.

Turia Defence Minister Hulus Akar, during an interview this week, said in favour of a compromise solution to the Russian system S-400, which Russia originally built to target Western warplanes. But, the US is not interested in Turkish bid.

Our policy for the S-400 system has not changed“, State Department spokesman Ned Price said when asked about the Turkish proposal. ” These systems are inadequate with NATO equipment, they threaten NATO technology security and are contrary to Turkey's commitments as a NATO ally“, Price told reporters. “We have requested and will continue to ask Turkey not to keep this system“, he said.

The Turkish minister has cited Greece's case, which after buying the Russian system S-300 had not made it fully functional. But the S-400 system, according to American officials, is more advanced so they have rejected the comparison.

Turkey has continued implementing the agreement with Moscow despite warnings from the United States. The former president's administration, Donald Trump, expelled Ankara from the F-35 combat aircraft programme and imposed several sanctions in the procurement field with Turkey. US President Joe Biden pledged during the election campaign that he would toughen the US's stance on Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan, whom he has described as an autism.