Pentagon Chief Queries Turkey’s NATO Loyalty After Base Threat
- Esper comments day after Erdogan floated closing bloc’s bases
- Ankara’s purchase of Russian missile system is roiling ties
Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.
Source: U.S. Air Force
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U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Turkey’s threats to close two critical NATO installations if it’s sanctioned for growing military ties to Russia raise questions about the country’s commitment to the Western alliance.
A day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned of possible retaliation if the U.S. imposes penalties over Turkey’s purchase of a Russian missile system, the Pentagon chief suggested the country may have set itself on a collision course with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.