Sputnik - Turkey is ready to respond to possible US sanctions, for example, those over Ankara's decision to purchase Russian S-400 Triumf air defense systems, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.



"If it [the United States] wants to�punish Turkey with�sanctions, Turkey will react in�another way, not like�Russia or other states� We will respond. You cannot threaten us. The United States threatens many countries saying 'Do not buy gas of�one or another country.' That does not work," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Zeit Online.


Turkey along�with Russia has achieved noticeable progress in�the settlement of�the Syrian conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
"Within a year and a half, we together with�Russia achieved progress�� in�ensuring the ceasefire regime and [the creation of] de-escalation zones�� in�order to�find a political solution [of the Syrian conflict]," the minister stated.


Cavusoglu expressed hope that Russia and Iran would put an end to�violations of�the agreements reached in�Astana and Sochi.

Earlier this week, head of�US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe Curtis Scaparrotti said that the United States hoped that Turkey would change its decision on�Russian�S-400 systems�and warned that Ankara might face consequences over�the move.
"Let those who criticize us for�purchasing the S-400 to�fight terrorism look at�themselves. Why are they silent about�the S-300 which Greece has? And they tell us that this is a wrong step. What kind of�alliance, what kind of�solidarity is this? This would fly, but�not with�us,"�President of�Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan�said in�parliament.


In December, Russia and Turkey signed a loan agreement on�the supply of�Russia's S-400 air and missile defense systems to�Turkey.

The S-400 Triumph is Russia's next-generation mobile surface-to-air missile system and can carry three different types of�missiles capable of�destroying aerial targets at�a short-to-extremely-long range. The weapon is designed to�track and destroy various types of�aerial targets, from�reconnaissance aircraft to�ballistic missiles.

Syria has been engulfed in�a civil war since�2011, with�government forces fighting numerous opposition factions and terrorist groups. The international community has taken a number of�steps aimed at�settling the crisis, including through�negotiations in�Geneva and Astana.