ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday hit back at a US threat of sanctions if Ankara activated Russian-built S-400 air defense systems despite Washington’s opposition.
Turkey has confirmed the first test of the S-400 system despite repeated warnings of sanctions from its chief NATO ally, the United States.
“You told us to send back the S-400s. We are not a tribal state, we are Turkey,” Erdogan said in a televised speech in Malatya, eastern Turkey.
The Pentagon on Friday strongly condemned “Turkey’s testing of this system, which risks serious consequences for our security relationship.”
Turkey faces potential sanctions under a 2017 law known as CAATSA, which mandates sanctions for any “significant” purchases of weapons from Russia.
Turkey had already been removed from the F-35 fighter jet program over the S-400 purchase.
Erdogan remained defiant on Sunday, saying: “Whatever your sanctions are, don’t hesitate to apply them.”
Erdogan defies threatened US sanctions over missiles
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Erdogan defies threatened US sanctions over missiles
- Turkey has confirmed the first test of the S-400 system despite repeated warnings of US sanctions
- The Pentagon strongly condemned “Turkey’s testing of this system"
Venezuela advances amnesty bill that could lead to mass release of political prisoners
- Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States
CARACAS: Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday advanced an amnesty bill proposed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez that could lead to the release of hundreds of opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons.
Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States. But the contents of the bill have not been released publicly, and rights groups have so far reacted with cautious optimism — and with demands for more information.
The bill, introduced just weeks after the US military captured then-President Nicolás Maduro, still requires a second debate that has yet to be scheduled. Once approved, it must be signed by Rodríguez before it can go into effect.
In announcing the bill late last month, Rodríguez told a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military brass and other government leaders that the ruling party-controlled National Assembly would take up the legislation with urgency.
“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism,” she said in a pre-taped televised event. “May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans.”
Rights groups, fearing some political detainees will be excluded, want more details about the requirements for amnesty before any final vote.
The Venezuelan Program for Education-Action in Human Rights, or PROVEA, issued a statement emphasizing that the bill must be made public urgently due to its potential impact on victims’ rights and broader Venezuelan society.
Based on what is known so far about the legislation, the amnesty would cover a broad timeline, spanning the administration of the late Hugo Chávez from 1999 to 2013 and that of his political heir, Maduro, until this year. It would exclude people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, and serious human rights violations, reports indicate.
