US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday April 28 he hoped for an improvement in relations with Turkey despite the American recognition of the Armenian genocide, however again raising the possibility of sanctions if Ankara persists in using a Russian system of air defense.
Read also: Armenian genocide: Turkey rejects the decision of the US Administration
Joe Biden acknowledged the Armenian genocide on Saturday, becoming the first President of the United States to qualify the death of 1.5 million Armenians massacred by the Ottoman Empire in 1915, angering Turkey, which summoned the American ambassador in protest. The Armenian genocide is recognized by more than twenty countries and many historians but it is vigorously contested by Turkey.
Antony Blinken underlined that Joe Biden had signaled by telephone his intention to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in order to avoid any “
surprise
”, and had agreed to meet him in June on the sidelines of a NATO meeting. "
We must show respect to Turkey by expressing our disagreements clearly, directly, honestly, and we expect the same from Turkey,
" the US foreign minister said, responding to a question. Turkish journalist at a round table on press freedom in the world. "
I really hope that we can find a positive outcome
," he added, calling for the two countries to "
work together and deepen (their) cooperation
".
"Autocrat"
The relations of the new Biden administration with Turkey had been strained from the outset, the Democrat having in the past described Erdogan as an “
autocrat
”, and Washington blaming NATO member Ankara for the purchase of the defense system. air S-400 to Russia, the alliance's main opponent.
The United States has repeatedly urged Turkey to abandon the S-400s.
The US Congress even passed a law to this effect in 2017, imposing sanctions against nations purchasing "
significant
"
quantities
of Russian weapons.
"
We are bound
" by this law, recalled Wednesday Antony Blinken, "
and we will respect it in the future
".
He said the possible sanctions would be in addition to the very targeted measures imposed by former President Donald Trump in December against the Turkish government agency responsible for arms purchases. Blinken believed that the Russian air defense system provided Moscow with "
income, access and influence
." "
Buying the S-400 poses a threat to the security of the military technology and personnel of the United States and its allies, and it weakens the cohesion of the alliance,
" he said.
