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US examines all possible sanctions on Turkey over S-400 deal — diplomat

The US authorities have been "pretty clear <…> what the ramifications could be," a Department of State spokesperson said
An S-400 surface-to-air missile system Sergei Malgavko/TASS
An S-400 surface-to-air missile system
© Sergei Malgavko/TASS

WASHINGTON, July 16. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo are looking into all possible variants of sanctioning Turkey for its deal to purchase S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia, US Department of State Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus has told reporters.

During the regular press briefing on Tuesday, Ortagus said the president and the secretary of state "are examining all of the options that are in the CAATSA [Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act] legislation."

She said the US authorities have been "pretty clear <…> what the ramifications could be."

"As it relates to which sanctions options will be chosen, we don’t preview those sanctions in advance," the spokesperson added.

When asked to clarify possible measures, Ortagus advised to use internet search engines and see "the 12 options that are available" under CAATSA.

"As soon as we have an announcement to make, I’ll let you know," she added.

On August 2, 2017, US President Donald Trump signed The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which paves the way for tougher sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea.