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Erdogan says NATO countries shouldn't sanction each other over S400s
by Staff Writers
Istanbul (AFP) June 26, 2019

NATO agrees response to new Russia missile
Brussels (AFP) June 26, 2019 - NATO on Wednesday agreed a package of political and military measures to boost its defences against a controversial new Russian missile system.

The alliance will review its air and missile defences, along with its intelligence and surveillance programmes, unless Moscow abandons its 9M729 ground-launched cruise missiles by August 2.

The US and NATO say Russia is breaching the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with the missile and endangering peace in Europe.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia still had a chance to save the the landmark Cold War arms control pact.

"There's a window of opportunity. Time is running out but it is still possible for Russia to save the INF treaty," Stoltenberg told reporters at a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

"If they don't come back into compliance before August 2 then they have to bear the full responsibility for the demise of the treaty."

After years of complaining to Russia about the missile, the US announced in February it would pull out of the INF on August 2 unless Moscow gave it up.

A meeting of the NATO-Russia Council has been called next week as a last-ditch attempt to save the deal, but there is little expectation of Russia backing down.

Moscow for its part insists the missile complies with the INF and has made counter-accusations against the US.

A number of European allies are keen to use every last moment to try to save the INF, which is seen as a cornerstone of global arms control, but defence ministers agreed to prepare measures in case the efforts fail.

"We have agreed on a wide range of measures: political measures, military measures, exercises, missile defence, conventional and any others," Stoltenberg said.

"Some of them will be long term, others it will be possible to implement short term or more concretely."

Because it is launched from mobile batteries, NATO says the missile is hard to detect and it can hit capital cities across Europe with nuclear warheads in a matter of minutes, lowering the threshold for conflict.

Stoltenberg said there was no sign of Russia giving up the 9M279 -- on the contrary, he accused Moscow of continuing to deploy it.

Earlier this year the 29 NATO countries publicly backed Washington's assessment that the nuclear-capable missile violates the INF, which banned ground launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (300 to 3,400 miles).

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said NATO countries should not place sanctions each other as the tensions with Washington mount over Ankara's deal with Russia to buy S-400 missile defence system.

"Do not forget that Turkey is a NATO country. America is a NATO country. I am not aware if NATO countries place sanctions on one another," Erdogan told reporters at an Ankara airport, before leaving for Japan where he will attend the G20 summit.

Erdogan is due to meet Saturday with US President Donald Trump on the margins of the summit in Osaka. Turkey's deal with Russia will be one of the issues on the table.

The US has given Turkey a deadline of July 31 to drop the purchase of the S-400 system, or face sanctions and removal from the United States' F-35 fighter jet programme.

Erdogan is hoping to use good relations with Trump in order to defuse tensions when they meet this weekend.

He said Turkey's relations with Washington was based upon "strategic partnership" and added he did "not get such an impression from Mr Trump" that sanctions would be placed unless Ankara dropped the Russia deal.

The Turkish leader also insisted that the agreement with Moscow was a "done deal" and that the system was "in the process of delivery."

Erdogan this week said his country would take delivery of Russia's S-400 missile defence system in July.

New Pentagon chief confronts Turkey on NATO debut
Brussels (AFP) June 26, 2019 - President Donald Trump's pick for Pentagon chief plunged straight into business as he made his NATO debut Wednesday, confronting Turkey over its purchase of Russian air defence missiles.

Mark Esper, nominated as defense secretary last Friday, reiterated Washington's warning that buying the Russian S-400 missile system would mean it would be booted out of the US F-35 jet fighter programme.

Making his first appearance at a meeting of NATO defence ministers, Esper had what a Pentagon spokesman described as a "frank and transparent" meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar.

The US and NATO are alarmed that Turkey may acquire the missiles, which are designed to shoot down planes like the F-35, America's new generation multi-role stealth fighter that Turkey also wants to buy.

But Turkey has so far rebuffed all efforts to persuade it to drop the deal, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted that the delivery process had already begun.

"Do not forget that Turkey is a NATO country. America is a NATO country. I am not aware if NATO countries place sanctions on one another," Erdogan told reporters at an Ankara airport, before leaving for Japan where he will attend ta G20 summit.

- 'Done deal' -

"The two leaders had a frank and transparent discussion where Secretary Esper reiterated that Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 air and missile defense system is incompatible with the F-35 program and that Turkey will not be permitted to have both systems," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said.

Erdogan has said he will use his good relations with Trump to defuse tensions when they meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka this week.

He said Turkey's relations with Washington was based upon "strategic partnership" and added he did "not get such an impression from Mr Trump" that sanctions would be placed unless Ankara dropped the Russia deal.

The Turkish leader also insisted that the agreement with Moscow was a "done deal" and that the system was "in the process of delivery."

But the US has set a July 31 deadline for Ankara to drop the purchase or face sanctions and expulsion from the F-35 programme.

This would mean an end to Turkey's current plans to buy 100 F-35s and the loss of lucrative contracts to build parts of the jet.

Esper, who is yet to be confirmed in post by the Senate, is the third man to lead the Pentagon in six months after Jim Mattis and Patrick Shanahan.

The departure of defense secretary Mattis -- who quit in December admitting he had had differences with Trump -- concerned some European allies who saw him as a cool, experienced head in Washington.

In Esper they face another former military man, but one who is close to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton -- both outspoken hawks in the Trump team.


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US Senate votes to block Saudi arms sales, UK suspends licenses
Washington (AFP) June 20, 2019
Saudi Arabia's controversial military campaign in Yemen suffered a double blow Thursday as US lawmakers voted to block President Donald Trump's arms sales to Riyadh hours after Britain temporarily suspended similar sales. In Washington, the Senate voted to prevent $8.1 billion in US arms in a symbolic bipartisan rebuke to the president and his close ties with the kingdom. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in voting against 22 separate sales of aircraft support maintenance, precision-guid ... read more

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