In a damage control move over sanctions imposed by President Trump on Ankara over Russian missile defense system purchase, US
State Secretary, Mike Pompeo, on Friday said that the decisions were not intended to weaken Turkey’s military capabilities.

Pompeo
who spoke to his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, this week empahsised in
a tweet that the sanctions solely aims to prevent Russia from receiving substantial
revenue, access, and influence.

“The
sanctions imposed over the S-400 system are not intended to undermine the military
capabilities or combat readiness of Turkey or any other US Ally or
partner,” State Department spokesperson Cale Brown said in a statement.

Pompeo
also urged Turkry to resolve the issue considering their decades-long history
of defense-sector cooperation and to re-commit itself to its NATO obligations
to purchase NATO-interoperable weaponry.”

The
statement comes at the backdrop of the US’ move to impose sanctions on
Turkey’s military procurement agency after the NATO ally defiantly bought
Russia’s S-400 air defense system.

Targeting
Turkey’s military procurement agency, President Trump’s administration said it was banning
all US export licenses to the Presidency of Defense Industries and refusing any
visas for the agency’s president, Ismail Demir.

Turkish
President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the other hand denounced US’ actions calling it an attack on Turkey’s sovereignty.

“What
kind of an alliance is this? This decision is an open attack on our sovereignty.”Erdogan said during a televised speech in Ankara