Turkish president criticises US defence sanctions amid growing tensions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that sanctions imposed by the US on Türkiye's defence industry are undermining Ankara's trust in Washington as a NATO ally.

"The measures and restrictions affecting the defence industry negatively impact our sense of trust. Moreover, it is clear that the CAATSA sanctions and our exclusion from the F-35 programme contradict the spirit of NATO," the president noted during his visit to the US, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

President Erdogan was seeking a meeting with US presidential candidate Kamala Harris in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly to promote improved relations between the two countries.

On September 12, Turkish historian and analyst Mehmet Perincek stated that the US has adopted a strategy of using sanctions against Russia as a tool of pressure on countries with trade ties to Russia, including China, India, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and several EU member states.  

“In this context, Washington aims to undermine the Türkiye-Russia relations. The US is keen to prevent the Turkish economy from achieving further growth through its connections with Russia,” the expert said.  

Earlier, the US responded to Türkiye's decision to join BRICS.

By Naila Huseynova