OREANDA-NEWS. The United States imposed sanctions on the Turkish Defense Industries Directorate (SSB) and its four senior officials. According to the US State Department, restrictive measures were imposed due to the purchase of the air defense missile system S-400 from Russia.

“Despite our warnings, Turkey moved ahead with its purchase and testing of the S-400 system from Russia. Today’s sanctions on Turkey’s SSB demonstrates the U.S. will fully implement CAATSA. We will not tolerate significant transactions with Russia’s defense sector,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

The sanctions targeted the head of the SSP Ismail Demir, his deputy Faruk Yigit, the head of the air defense and space division Serhat Gencoglu and the head of the regional air defense systems directorate program Mustafa Alper Deniz. The sanctions include a freeze of their assets in the United States, as well as a ban on entry into the country.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned Washington’s actions and promised retaliatory measures.