Washington weighing stricter sanctions against Turkey over Russian S-400, says report

US President Donald Trump is considering stricter sanctions against Turkey if Ankara insists on plans to purchase a Russian missile defense system, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

Citing people familiar with the issue, Bloomberg said that Washington is weighing three "sanctions packages," the severest of which "would all but cripple the already troubled Turkish economy."

It said that the option currently being favored most strongly would entail "targeting several companies in Turkey's key defense sector under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act... making it almost impossible for them to buy American components or sell their products in the US."

Washington has already threatened to halt sales to Turkey of American-built F-35 fighter jets if it goes ahead with the purchase of the Russian S-400 system.

The report has already had a...