Severe Warning from Trump's Deputy to Turkey Regarding S-400 Purchase; New Reactions from Turkey

Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, has warned Turkey that its purchase of the Russian air defense system jeopardizes its position in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). During speeches related to the 70th anniversary of NATO's establishment, Pence stated, "Turkey must choose; does it want to remain an important member of the most successful military alliance in history, or does it want to jeopardize its membership in this alliance with irresponsible decisions that call our unity into question?" Other U.S. officials have also warned Turkey about the S-400 purchase. However, Pence's warning, as reported by the media, has intensified criticism against Ankara, especially as it was mentioned during the NATO member meeting, specifically regarding Turkey's membership. On April 1, U.S. officials stated that Washington had halted the delivery of parts and equipment for F-35 fighter jets to Turkey in response to Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 system. Two weeks ago, Katie Wheelbarger, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Security, told Reuters, "The S-400 is a computer. The F-35 is also a computer. You do not give your computer to your enemy: that is exactly what we intend to do." Turkey, on the other hand, has accused the U.S. of "hypocrisy" and its Foreign Minister stated that the S-400 purchase contract pertains to Turkey's security and "remains in force." Mevlut Cavusoglu, in a meeting at the American think tank Atlantic Council, stated that the U.S. proposal to sell Patriot air defense systems is not timely for Turkey. Cavusoglu said, "We could not have had this (American air defense system) for 10 years. That is why we have to buy from Russia... This is a vital issue; we urgently need an air defense system in Turkey." Fuat Oktay, the Vice President of Turkey, also raised the issue of U.S. support for Kurdish militants in Syria on his Twitter account, stating, "The United States must choose" whether it wants to remain a "friend" of Turkey or not. The U.S. has rejected the accusation of the Kurdish militants in Syria being "terrorists," emphasizing that this group has played an important role in combating the "Islamic State." The issue of Kurdish militants in Syria was also raised by Mike Pompeo, who warned about the "devastating" consequences of Turkey's military actions in the region during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Cavusoglu. The U.S. State Department stated that the Secretary of State, while expressing support for negotiations regarding northern Syria, warned about the potentially devastating consequences of any unilateral military action by Turkey in the region. The Turkish Foreign Minister previously stated in response to the question of whether the U.S. has a clear policy in Syria: "No, and that is the problem." Over the past two years, Turkey's relations with Russia have significantly increased; especially as these relations had been severely strained during the Syrian civil war and its events. However, the two countries are currently engaged in cooperation regarding Syria, energy projects, such as gas pipelines and nuclear facilities, have also been discussed between them. On the other hand, recently Reuters reported in an analytical report that since the S-400 missile system is set to be delivered to Turkey in the coming months, Ankara essentially has little opportunity to change its mind. As a result, the possibility for diplomatic maneuvering is very limited, and the likelihood of U.S. sanctions against Turkey increases.