US Sanctions Turkey For 'Significant' Transaction With Russia - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2021) The United States is imposing sanctions on Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and four of its top managers over a significant transaction with Russia, the State Department said in a notice.

"The Secretary of State [Antony Blinken] has... selected certain sanctions to be imposed upon SSB and Ismail Demir, SSB's president; Faruk Yigit, SSB's vice president; Serhat Gencoglu, SSB's Head of the Department of Air Defense and Space; and Mustafa Alper Deniz, Program Manager for SSB's Regional Air Defense Systems Directorate, pursuant to CAATSA," the notice said on Monday.

The document, which is scheduled to be published in the Federal register on Tuesday, added that Blinken determined that SSB "has knowingly engaged in a significant transaction with a person that is part of, or operates for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sectors of the Government of the Russian Federation." The filing made no mention of the acquisition by Turkey of the S-400 air defense systems in Russia.