NATO nation snubs U.S.; Putin wins Erdogan’s praise amid sanctions row | ‘Respect For Russia’

Turkey has snubbed the U.S. despite fresh pressure over its ties with Russia. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish President, has described his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin as honest and trust-based. While Erdogan praised Putin, he issued a deterrent to the U.S. in the same breath. The deterrent was issued over the now-frozen fighter jet deal between the U.S. and Turkey. The issue was frozen after Ankara bought Russian S-400 air defence systems. The United States is now trying to arm-twist Turkey over its sanctions on Russia. However, Ankara seems unfazed by the U.S. warnings and continues to support Russia.