UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER
By Havva Kara Aydin and Faruk Zorlu
ANKARA (AA) - The US' unilateral sanctions attack sovereign rights of Turkey and other countries, the Turkish foreign minister said Thursday.
In an interview with Turkish news broadcaster 24 TV, Mevlut Cavusoglu said relations between the two countries could normalize if the US meets Turkey’s expectations.
He stressed that the sanction decision is a wrong step both legally and politically.
Noting that Turkey took the S-400 defense system decision before the US passed legislation making the sanctions possible, he said it is also extremely wrong to impose sanctions on an ally.
About the new US administration, he said Joe Biden knows Turkey’s expectations, because the issues that negatively affect our relations did not start during the Trump period. These issues surfaced during the Barack Obama term.
He said if the US continues to support the YPG/PKK terror groups, tensions between the two countries will continue.
The minister said Turkey urged the US to not cooperate with one terror group to eliminate another (Daesh).
He also underlined Turkey’s expectations from the US regarding the FETO terror group, saying the main perpetrator of the July 15 coup attempt has been living in the US.
The US needs Turkey strategically and in terms of regional policies, he added.
The US on Monday imposed sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.
The sanctions, coming under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), target Turkey’s Defense Industries Presidency (SSB), including Ismail Demir, the head of the SSB, and three other officials.
In April 2017, when its protracted efforts to buy an air defense system from the US proved fruitless, Turkey signed a contract with Russia to acquire the S-400 shield.
The US officials have voiced opposition to their deployment, claiming they would be incompatible with NATO systems and would expose F-35 jets to possible Russian subterfuge.
Turkey, however, stressed that the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems, and poses no threat to the alliance or its armaments.
Turkish officials have repeatedly proposed a working group to examine the technical compatibility issue.
- Eastern Mediterranean issue
During the interview, Cavusoglu, referring to the Eastern Mediterranean issue, said Turkey plans to take steps together with the EU for a meeting on the region, adding: “If there will be a Greek part for Cyprus [in the meeting], there must be the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as well. It is either the two or nothing.”
Pointing out the EU summit held on Dec. 10-11, he considered the statements made in the last summit more reasonable than the previous one, slamming the "threatening language" which said: "We will look until the next summit".
On Turkey-EU relationships, he noted: “As a regional actor, the EU’s attitude should be reasonable, sane, and oriented towards solidarity and cooperation with another actor, Turkey.”
Turkey, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected the maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, stressing that these excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
Ankara has sent seismic research ships in recent months to explore energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting its own rights in the region, as well as those of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
- Relations with France
Cavusoglu, mentioning French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s request for giving up mutual explanations, said: “Normalization with France may come, but France should change its attitude towards us after Operation Peace Spring.”
France, which had been openly supporting the terror organizations' intention to form a state in northeastern Syria, was heavily opposed to Turkey's anti-terror operations to clear the region of terrorists.
After Turkey's anti-terror Operation Peace Spring to fight the YPG/PKK and ISIS/Daesh terrorists, the French parliament reiterated its support for the YPG/PKK and once again clarified its position to stand with the terrorist organization.
Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is PKK's Syrian offshoot.
- Observation center to be established in Azerbaijan soon
On the cease-fire agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said: “We will establish this observation center as soon as possible and take necessary steps to make the cease-fire permanent.”
He also reminded a recent violation of cease-fire by Armenia and called on Russia which has peacekeeping forces in the [Upper-Karabakh] region to stop violations.
“Otherwise, Mr. Aliyev gave the necessary message about what he could do,” he added.
Relations between the ex-Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
Fresh clashes erupted on Sept. 27, and the Armenian army continued its attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, even violating humanitarian cease-fire agreements, for 44 days.
At the frontline, Baku liberated several cities and nearly 300 of its settlements and villages from Armenian occupation during this time.
On Nov. 10, Baku and Yerevan signed a Russia-brokered agreement to end fighting, and work towards a comprehensive solution.
A memorandum of understanding setting up a joint Turkish-Russian center to monitor the peace deal -- which has ended weeks of armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia -- was signed on Nov. 11.