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Is Erdogan’s trust in Trump in the S-400/F-35 standoff misplaced?

Turkish government officials believe that if Trump was not hamstrung by Congress and the Pentagon, he and Erdogan would have solved this matter by now.
Russian S-400 Triumph/SA-21 Growler medium-range and long-range surface-to-air missile systems drive during the Victory Day parade at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2015. Russia marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe on Saturday with a military parade, showcasing new military hardware at a time when relations with the West have hit lows not seen since the Cold War. REUTERS/Host Photo Agency/RIA Novosti ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS D

The debacle over Istanbul’s mayoral elections has added further urgency to Ankara’s need to resolve differences with the United States over its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.

Washington is threatening to withhold the delivery of state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets to Turkey if it goes ahead with the deal. It is also threatening to impose sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

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