Intel: Turkish defense minister asks Congress to halt bill sanctioning Ankara

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar asked US lawmakers today to abandon legislation that would sanction Ankara over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system that the House passed last week.
Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar attends a NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels on February 13, 2020, to address key issues including the Alliances training mission in Iraq and the fight against international terrorism. - Ministers will also discuss NATOs presence in Afghanistan, the challenges posed by Russias missile systems and NATO-EU cooperation. (Photo by Aris Oikonomou / AFP) (Photo by ARIS OIKONOMOU/AFP via Getty Images)
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar attends a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels on Feb. 13, 2020. - ARIS OIKONOMOU/AFP via Getty Images
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Bryant Harris
@brykharris_ALM

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar asked US lawmakers today to abandon legislation that would sanction Ankara over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system that the House passed last week.

“We hope Congress will also act in a way that will strengthen our strategic partnership instead of resorting to the threat of sanctions as a policy toward an ally,” Akar said in a video posted by the Turkish Defense Ministry on Twitter.

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