p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #ff2d22; -webkit-text-stroke: #ff2d22; min-height: 13.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #ff2d22; -webkit-text-stroke: #ff2d22} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 13.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {font-kerning: none; color: #ff2d22; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #ff2d22} span.s3 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #042eee; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #042eee} Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper called his Turkish counterpart to reprimand Ankara after the delivery of a Russian air defense system to Turkey on Friday, as the Donald Trump administration deliberated automatic sanctions for the move. The arrival of the Russian-made system is widely seen as a turning point in Ankara’s unraveling ties with the United States and its 67-year alliance with NATO.
The delivery was trumpeted by pro-government outlets as irrefutable proof of Turkey’s unbending sovereignty and strength in the face of global powers. The Ministry of Defense was eager to show off its new kit, tweeting footage of the giant Russian transport plane carrying the first set of components as it landed at the Murted air force base in Ankara.