US sanctions announced this week are a “blatant attack” on Turkish sovereignty, the nation’s president said Wednesday.
Turkey is the first NATO member to face such sanctions, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a highway opening ceremony, pointing to the double standard in slapping such sanctions on Turkey.
“TURKEY WILL NOT BE DETERRED”
The sanctions seek to make the country’s defense industry dependent, but Turkey is determined to boost its industry to the top, he added.
Turkey will not be deterred but instead will work twice as hard to improve the defense sector and make it totally independent, Erdogan vowed.
US SANCTIONS ON TURKEY
The US on Monday imposed sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.
The sanctions, coming under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), target Turkey’s Defense Industries Presidency (SSB), including Ismail Demir, the head of the SSB, and three other officials.