ANKARA (Reuters) – Despite US sanctions, Turkey will not return from acquiring Russian S-400 defense systems, but said on Thursday, but will also try to resolve issues with its NATO ally through dialogue.
In December, Washington imposed sanctions on Ankara for acquiring the S-400s on the grounds that it threatened its F-35 fighter jets and was incompatible with shared NATO defense. Turkey rejects this, saying the systems will be independent of NATO defense.
Since Joe Biden was elected US president, Ankara has said he wants better ties and has once again proposed an S-400 joint working group. But Washington has repeatedly rejected it, saying sanctions will remain until Turkey no longer owns the missiles.
Turkey’s defense minister said on Tuesday that Ankara, according to local media, was proposing to activate only S-400s in negotiations with the United States.
In an interview with state broadcaster TRT Haber, Ibrahim Kalin, the president’s spokesperson, said that the minister’s comments were misunderstood but not expanded. He added that there were talks with Washington about differences of opinion, but that quick solutions to problems could not be expected.
“The United States has said so far that it will not negotiate on this issue (S-400s). Turkey will not return from the Russian S-400 issue,” Kalin said.
“If we read the strategic picture the right way, we think we can make progress,” he said. “By offering solutions, we will be in negotiations,” he added without elaborating.
The United States also removed Turkey from the F-35 jet program in mid-2019, where Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer.
Turkey said the purchase of the S-400s was a necessity because it had no suitable alternatives from NATO allies.
In a call last week that was the first official contact between the allies since Biden took office, Kalin told U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that the S-400 dispute needed to be resolved.
Kalin said on Thursday that he and Sullivan had agreed to hold another call in the coming days to specifically discuss their differences of opinion, adding that the two countries’ foreign ministers would also speak in the coming days.
The allies disagree on several issues, from the S-400s to the extradition request from Turkey for a cleric blaming a failed coup attempt in 2016, Syria policy and an Iran sanction case against Turkish state lender Halkbank .
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Edited by Jonathan Oatis and Toby Chopra)