"'Donald Trump warns Erdoğan he'll see 'far more than sanctions' if Turkey's Syria invasion isn't 'humane' but won't say what that means' Wow."Who's got whom by their tender parts?"If Washington slaps sanctions on Turkey over its acquisition of a Russian air defense system, U.S. use of two strategically vital bases could be at risk, the country’s foreign minister suggested.“We are currently running the process, whether it’s Incirlik, Kurecik or other issues,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. “If America has very negative steps toward us, if there are sanctions or further steps, we will have answers to America.”Cavusoglu, who was speaking to Turkish TV news channel TGRT Haber, didn’t elaborate on what that process entailed. He dismissed concerns that the dispute with the U.S. could eventually result in Turkey being forced out of NATO, but said that if sanctions are imposed they will respond.“If America has a hostile attitude towards us — as we have told them, we have no secrets — we take the countersteps,” Cavusoglu said. “It’s not a threat. It’s not a bluff.”Incirlik has been a hub for operations in the Middle East dating back to the early days of the Cold War. The base, where nuclear watchdogs say roughly 50 U.S. nuclear bombs are stored, has played a key role in operations against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.U.S. operations at Incirlik are continuing normally and the military-to-military relationship with Turkey hasn’t been affected amid the diplomatic tension, Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, said Friday.The U.S. also operates a radar on a mountaintop in Kurecik, which plays a key role in NATO’s ballistic missile defense network.Operating in Turkey has always been complicated. During the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Turkey prohibited the U.S. from staging forces in the country."(Stars and Stripes, July 23rd, 2019)
David Ainsworth ● 2589d