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Hardly a coincidence – Turkey takes revenge on US

Türkiye Materials 12 July 2019 16:45 (UTC +04:00)
Deliveries of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems to Turkey began on July 12, on the eve of the third anniversary of the military coup attempt there, which in Ankara is viewed as having been the execution of a secret plan of the US.
Hardly a coincidence – Turkey takes revenge on US
Rufiz Hafizoglu
Rufiz Hafizoglu
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Baku, Azerbaijan, July 12

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Deliveries of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems to Turkey began on July 12, on the eve of the third anniversary of the military coup attempt there, which in Ankara is viewed as having been the execution of a secret plan of the US.

As the occurrence of such coincidences in politics is unlikely, it can be said with a certain degree of confidence that the choice of date is also no coincidence, and that it is, to be more precise, a symbolic revenge of Turkey on the US, in response to the attempt of changing the country’s regime by force.

It is worth noting that Ankara received the first batch of delivery of the S-400s on Friday. Russian planes landed at the Murted (formerly Akinci) Air Base, right where an attempt at a military coup was initiated three years ago.

It is expected that Ankara will decide on the locations where the S-400 will be stationed in the coming days.

It would be foolish to assume that the US will be observing with indifference how Turkey, a previously important ally, is leaving their sphere of influence.

In spite of the promise Donald Trump gave during his meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan on not imposing sanctions on Turkey, Ankara was once again reminded by officials in Washington of possible “consequences” following the said meeting.

What can the US sanctions against Turkey include? First and foremost, the cessation of export-import banking support to certain persons and institutions that the US will determine in the near future. The US may also cancel the export of certain types of products and technologies to Turkey.

Washington may also forbid international financial institutions to issue loans to Ankara, stand in the way of Turkish companies willing to participate in international tenders, and impose bans on bank transfers. The imposition of a ban on the entry of Turkish officials into the US, and even the issue of Turkey’s expulsion from NATO being brought up, can also not be ruled out.

This is only a part of the possible US sanctions against Ankara. Whether Turkey will be able to withstand such pressure, time will tell ...

Besides, it should be mentioned that even Turkey’s refusal of acquiring the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems would not change the negative stance Washington takes in relation to Ankara, as has been observed in recent years.

Deliveries of Russian S-400s to Turkey should also be regarded as the beginning of new changes in the world order, as it is obvious that Ankara, despite its NATO membership, no longer sees Russia as a threat.

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Rufiz Hafizoglu, deputy editor-in-chief of Trend. Follow him on Twitter: @rhafizoglu

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