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ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday hit back at a US threat of sanctions if Ankara activated Russian-built S-400 air defense systems despite Washington’s opposition.
Turkey has confirmed the first test of the S-400 system despite repeated warnings of sanctions from its chief NATO ally, the United States.
“You told us to send back the S-400s. We are not a tribal state, we are Turkey,” Erdogan said in a televised speech in Malatya, eastern Turkey.
The Pentagon on Friday strongly condemned “Turkey’s testing of this system, which risks serious consequences for our security relationship.”
Turkey faces potential sanctions under a 2017 law known as CAATSA, which mandates sanctions for any “significant” purchases of weapons from Russia.
Turkey had already been removed from the F-35 fighter jet program over the S-400 purchase.
Erdogan remained defiant on Sunday, saying: “Whatever your sanctions are, don’t hesitate to apply them.”