Turkey to US: Don't take wrong steps that will harm relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Pic /AFP

Ankara: Turkey warned the United States against taking the "wrong steps" after the US State Department said there would be consequences if Ankara bought Russia's S-400 missile defence system.

"We are inviting the US to avoid taking the wrong steps which would exclude diplomacy and dialogue and harm relations," the foreign ministry said. It comes after the US renewed its warning to Ankara that there would be "real and negative" consequences if it completes the purchase of the S-400. "Those consequences include participation in the F-35 program," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said on Tuesday.

She said Turkish officials were fully aware of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, a law passed by Congress in 2017 that mandates sanctions for "significant" purchases of weapons from Russia.

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