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The Moment of Truth Has Come for U.S.-Turkey Relations

(Washington Post) Josh Rogin - For two years, the U.S. has been warning the Turkish government against receiving a huge Russian missile defense system. Washington has made clear that, were that to happen, it would have no choice but to impose sanctions that could further cripple the Turkish economy, restrict Turkey's role in NATO and forever alter the U.S.-Turkey alliance. This week the Russian equipment is arriving in Turkey. Turkish President Erdogan's decision to move ahead with the purchase of the S-400 Russian missile defense system - in direct defiance of the U.S. - is not just about the U.S. and Turkey. By daring the Trump team to enforce a law that promises to punish any country that does business with Russia's defense industry, he is attacking the credibility of U.S. sanctions policy worldwide. That's one reason the administration isn't going to look the other way. The decision to expel Turkey from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program seems obvious, because the most sensitive U.S. aircraft cannot share the same geographical space with the Russian system designed to detect it. Congress is on board. In June, the House unanimously passed a resolution calling on the administration to enforce tough sanctions against Turkey if Erdogan doesn't reverse course on the S-400.
2019-07-15 00:00:00
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