Russian S-400 purchase a ‘done deal,’ despite US freeze on F-35 deliveries

3 Apr, 2019

Turkey’s top diplomat has stood firm on Ankara’s commitment to buy the S-400 anti-air system from Russia, just days after the US froze deliveries of F-35 fighters to Ankara as part of its pressure to scupper the deal.

Speaking at a panel discussion organized by the Atlantic Council in Washington, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the S-400 purchase was “a done deal” – confirming President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that the transaction would go ahead. He then blamed Washington for preventing the purchase of the US’ Patriot system for a decade, while insisting that Russia’s S-400 would not be a security issue.
“[S-400s] will not be integrated into the NATO system,” Cavusoglu said, before proposing the creation of a technical group that would ensure that the air-defense system “will not be a threat” to either the F-35 or other NATO systems.
Read more at https://www.rt.com/news/455473-turkey-s400-done-deal-nato/

Pompeo: There will be ‘devastating’ consequences if Turkey attacks Syria

By Darryl Coote
April 4, 2019

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Turkey of “devastating” consequences if it attacks Syria.
Pompeo gave the warning to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu Wednesday in Washington during the first day of the two-day NATO Ministerial, State Department Spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement.
“Secretary Pompeo expressed support for ongoing negotiations regarding northeast Syria, while warning of the potentially devastating consequences of unilateral Turkish military action in the region,” Palladino said in the statement.
The warning comes as Turkey has repeatedly threatened to attack the Kurdish-led American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces as it believes the Islamic State fighters are also far-left Kurdish militants who are affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Turkey has been fighting.
Read more at https://www.upi.com/Pompeo-There-will-be-devastating-consequences-if-Turkey-attacks-Syria/7581554369692/

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