Turkey Threatens to Deny U.S. Access to Military Bases if Sanctions Imposed

The U.S. threatens to impose sanctions against Turkey for the purchase of S-400 anti-aircraft systems from Russia. Ankara warned that if this happens, it would close two key air bases in Turkey for the United States. Turkey warned that it could deny the United States of access to two strategically important air bases if the U.S. to impose sanctions against it. “If a decision is made to impose sanctions against Turkey, two airbases may be on the agenda. Members of Congress should understand that it is impossible to achieve anything through sanctions,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday, December 11. He made this statement amid reports that U.S. congressmen agreed on a defense bill that calls for sanctions against Turkey to purchase and deploy Russian S-400 missile system. The United States believes that S-400 missile system pose a threat to NATO, and therefore barred Turkey from participating in the development of the latest F-35 fighter. DW