Sharp State Department message to Turkey: Get rid of the S-400

A US State Department spokesperson affirmed Friday that President Joe Biden "has promised to call out Turkish behavior that is inconsistent with international law or its commitments to NATO."

In a written response to a query by Hellas Journal, the spokesperson referred specifically to Turkey's purchase of the S-400 anti-aircraft weapon system as such behavior and urged Turkey not to retain the system.

The full written response follows:

"Russian S-400s are incompatible with NATO equipment, threaten the security of NATO technology, and are inconsistent with Turkey's commitments as a NATO Ally. This significant transaction from Russia triggered CAATSA [Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act] sanctions under US legislation. We urge Turkey not to retain the system.

Turkey is a longstanding and valued NATO Ally. However, the acquisition of the...