Blinken pushes Turkey over Russian missiles

Brussels: Top US diplomat Antony Blinken on Wednesday pressed Turkey’s foreign minister over a Russian air defence system and Ankara’s withdrawal from a treaty on violence against women. "Secretary Blinken urged Turkey not to retain the Russian S-400 air defence system," the State Department said, after talks on the sidelines of a Nato meeting in Brussels.

Blinken "expressed concern over Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, and emphasised the importance of democratic institutions and respect for human rights".

Washington has long criticised Nato ally Turkey’s purchase of the advanced S-400 air defence system from rival Russia, arguing it threatens the alliance’s defences. Former US leader Donald Trump in December imposed sanctions on Ankara’s military procurement agency over the acquisition. Turkey has also drawn criticism for its decision to pull out of the Istanbul Convention, the latest victory for conservatives in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s nationalist party.