The Pentagon warned: They can shoot down our F-35, punish them; Trump will be forced

This would effectively force the outgoing US President to impose penalties that have long been prescribed by law, writes the magazine "Foreign Policy".
Capitol Hill has long been pressuring Trump to impose mandatory sanctions on Turkey, after Ankara bought the Russian S-400 anti-missile system in July 2019.
The United States reacted quickly to this move by removing Turkey from the program of F-35 fighter planes. However, the Trump administration stopped before imposing sanctions on Ankara, while some allies of the outgoing U President appealed to Turkey not to activate the Russian anti-missile system.
The Pentagon warned that the S-400 could easily identify and shoot down F-35 fighter jets.
The law, which envisions the introduction of a set of five or more sanctions, gives Trump the flexibility to determine to what extent the penalties towards Turkey will be severe.
Two sources familiar with the situation claim that it will most likely be resolved by imposing milder sanctions on Ankara, which include penalties for the representation of defense industries in Turkey, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his family could be spared.
The introduction of strict sanctions against Turkish banks could also be avoided, which experts claim could cause a catastrophic blow to the country's economy, but also to wider earthquakes in Europe.
Experts claim that the Trump administration could be forced to finally impose sanctions on Turkey, after Ankara tested the Russian missile defense system in October, which was condemned by the Pentagon.
Trump imposed sanctions on some Turkish officials, but only to ensure the release of the American pastor. He has long refused to apply the sanctions required by the 2017 law, known as the U.S...