DM Monitoring
Ankara: Washington finally announced sanctions against its NATO ally, Turkey, under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The sanctions had long been dangling like a “Sword of Damocles” over Turkey. The sanctions will be implemented on the pretext of Ankara’s conducting of business with Moscow, which Washington sees as its enemy.
The head of Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and three other officials have been singled out as targets of the sanctions, but the true scope will become clearer in the coming days. However, it is certain that Turkey was ready to sanction in return and create exit strategies from this threat. New U.S. sanctions will leave most of Turkey unaffected, including the National Defense Ministry, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and defense companies, SSB head Ismail Demir said.
Aside from all of the technical details and processes, it is possible to say that these latest sanctions on Ankara are the last straw. Turkey sees that Washington has been insisting on unconstructive steps and language because the long-standing loss of trust between the U.S. and Turkey is still on the front burner. Ankara now believes these most recent sanctions are not a cause but the result of these worn-out politics driven by Washington. It is likely that Ankara will not seek these answers from either arrogant members of the U.S. Congress or military staff at the Pentagon, which ignored Turkey’s national security considerations and acted directly against them. Ankara probably will not pose these questions to the U.S. diplomats who closed all communication channels despite Turkey’s willingness to talk.
Who declined to sell U.S.-made Patriot missile systems to Turkey despite repeated requests? Who supports terrorist groups such as the PKK’s Syrian branch, the YPG, – an enemy of NATO ally Turkey – in Syria? Who directly attacked the Turkish economy in the summer of 2019? Who implemented economic sanctions against Turkey? Who currently harbors the cult terror group that orchestrated the failed coup attempt in Turkey and its leader on U.S. soil?
Turkey and everyone else knows that the answers to these questions suggest that Turkey will not try to prove its rightfulness hereafter.
