“The US objection to Turkey regarding the purchase of Russian-made S-400 systems has a political and security basis,” said Ilter Turan, a professor of international relations at Bilgi University in Istanbul.
A team of US officials is due to arrive in Ankara on Thursday for a visit that Turkey hopes will pave the way for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, a former imam it accuses of orchestrating a coup attempt.
President Donald Trump did not commit during a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at the G20 summit two weeks ago to extradite a Muslim cleric based in the United States, a senior White House official said on Monday.
Turkey has dismissed what it said were ludicrous reports that Turkish officials may have discussed a plan to seize a wanted U.S.-based Muslim cleric and hand him over to Ankara in exchange for millions of dollars.
Turkey purged its police on Monday after rounding up thousands of soldiers in the wake of a failed military coup, and said it could reconsider its friendship with the United States unless Washington hands over a cleric Ankara blames for the putsch; Reuters reported.
