Türkiye bluntly responds to US warnings about S-400 missile deal

"The United States must choose. Does it want to continue to be an ally of Türkiye, or will it risk threatening the friendship by joining forces with terrorists to undermine the defense of a NATO member," Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay wrote on Twitter today.

Oktay's statement came after US Vice President Mike Pence warned that Türkiye could be expelled from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) if it tries to pursue a contract to buy Russia's S-400 long-range air defense missiles.

"Türkiye must choose. Does it want to remain a vital partner in the most successful military alliance in history, or does it want to risk the security of that relationship by making reckless decisions that undermine the alliance?" Vice President Pence said at a NATO ministerial meeting on April 3.

This is the latest "tit-for-tat" move between Ankara and Washington in the war of words related to the contract to buy S-400 missile systems that Türkiye signed with Russia.

The US believes the S-400 is incompatible with NATO's air defense system and is also a threat to the F-35 stealth fighter. US officials are concerned that Türkiye's purchase of both the F-35 and the S-400 could give Russia access to sophisticated technology on the F-35 line to find ways to counter them. The Pentagon also stopped delivering spare parts and F-35 user manuals to Türkiye on April 1.

Meanwhile, Ankara has repeatedly asserted its right to choose its arms supplier, arguing that the purchase of the S-400 is a matter of survival for its defense. Despite constant pressure from the US, Türkiye has not given up on the deal and has announced that it will receive the first S-400 system in July.