White House To Announce Sanctions Against Turkey For S-400 Purchase

Bloomberg: Trump Aides Pick Sanctions to Punish Turkey for Russian Missiles

* People familiar say one of three plans of action is chosen
* U.S. likely to announce sanctions after key anniversary passes

President Donald Trump’s team has settled on a sanctions package to punish Turkey for receiving parts of a Russian missile defense system and plans to announce it in the coming days, said people familiar with the matter.

The administration chose one of three sets of actions devised to inflict varying degrees of pain under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, the people said, without identifying which set had been chosen. The plan needs Trump’s approval.

One of the people said the intention is to announce the sanctions late next week. The administration wants to wait until after Monday’s anniversary of a 2016 coup attempt against Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to avoid fueling further speculation that the U.S. was responsible for the uprising, as Erdogan’s loyalists have claimed.

The plan was developed after days of discussions between officials at the State and Defense departments and the National Security Council. It awaits a sign-off by Trump and his top advisers, the people said, requesting anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. A State Department spokeswoman declined to comment.

Turkey on Friday began receiving parts for the Russian-made S-400 missile system, which the U.S. has said puts at risk the Pentagon’s costliest weapons program, the F-35 fighter jet built by Lockheed Martin Corp. Turkey turned to Russia after failing to reach agreement with the U.S. on defense systems.

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WNU Editor: The Russian S-400 missile system may have been cheaper to buy, but sanctions are going to make these savings disappear over night if even minimal sanctions are imposed.