A group of Democratic senators asked the State Department on March 16th to clarify whether sanctions should be imposed against TURKEY for the planned acquisition of Russian anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) S-400.

"Our letter relates specifically to reports of negotiations between Russia and some countries concerning the sale of S-400 air defense systems by the Russian government, and also whether these transactions fall under mandatory sanctions in connection with CAATSA (the Law on Countering America's Opponents through Sanctions)," – says senators´s letter.

In addition to Turkey, the authors of the appeal require information from the administration about the sale of the S-400 to CHINA, INDIA, SAUDI ARABIA and QATAR.

The CAATSA law provides for secondary sanctions against countries that will enter into "significant" transactions with the Russian military-industrial complex. The US State Department states that it is negotiating with all foreign buyers of Russian arms and warns them about buying Russian hardware under the threat of US sanctions. The foreign policy department claims that it has already caused losses for the Russian military-industrial complex in the amount of three to four billion dollars. Head of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security Viktor Bondarev said, in turn, that the US State Department figures about the alleged losses of the Russian military-industrial complex from sanctions were made-up.

Earlier, the commander in chief of NATO forces in Europe, American General Curtis Scaparotti said that the US hopes that Turkey will refuse to purchase the S-400, and warns Ankara of the "consequences" of such a move. Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkish Foreign Minister, said later that Ankara was ready for reciprocal steps in the case of American sanctions.

In December last year, in Ankara, Russian and Turkish representatives signed a acquisition agreement for the supply of S-400 SAMs. According to the statement of the Turkish defense industry secretariat, Ankara will buy two batteries of this complex, which will be operated and maintained by Turkish personnel. The parties agreed on technological cooperation in this area to develop the production of anti-aircraft missile systems in Turkey, RIA Novosti newsagency reported.