Republicans put a clock on Trump talks with Turkey over Russian defense system
Republican senators say they could push for a vote on new sanctions against Turkey in a matter of weeks unless the Trump administration and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan resolve a monthslong impasse over Ankara’s purchase of a Russian-made missile defense system.
Several leading lawmakers made the comments a day after their closed-door meeting with President Donald Trump and Erdogan at the White House.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a staunch ally of Trump who has made foreign policy a centerpiece of his legislative portfolio, told McClatchy that a resolution to U.S. concerns over the S-400 missile defense system must happen within “weeks, not months.”
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., also made it clear he would be advocating for a vote on new sanctions against Turkey as fast as possible.
“Erdogan’s got to figure out that if he’s going to move on the S-400, he’s going to get sanctions,” Scott said, referring to Russian air defense batteries that U.S. military officials warn would compromise costly American defense systems.
Turkey has already acquired the Russian system, prompting the United States in July to eject Ankara from the F-35 fighter jet program.
But the president is also statutorily obligated under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017, or CAATSA, to apply sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the S-400s. Trump has yet to act on the requirement.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said he thought threats of sanctions should be put on hold while negotiations were ongoing. He also told reporters he wanted a bipartisan bill on sanctions against Turkey to be ready in case negotiations break down.
“Let’s get it ready. I want them to know we’re serious,” Risch told reporters Thursday, referring to Turkey. “They know we’re serious.”
Republican lawmakers are making it clear they are running out of patience. They would almost certainly secure overwhelming bipartisan support for an additional sanctions package. But they also are keenly aware that a vote for sanctions would be widely seen as a rebuke of Trump.
The president has the power to apply sanctions on his own, with or without a congressional mandate, but Trump has been reluctant to do so against Turkey, crediting his personal relationship with Erdogan. Trump’s critics also note the Trump Organization maintains lucrative business in Turkey.
Bringing Republican lawmakers into the White House meeting with Erdogan took pressure off Trump to confront him directly over the inevitable disagreement should Turkey proceed with the S-400 deployment, sources said.
The lawmakers now hope, with their message delivered in person, that Erdogan will take their threats of new sanctions seriously enough to negotiate a resolution with Trump in good faith. Despite their distrust of Erdogan, the lawmakers are still reluctant to sanction a NATO ally while also risking backlash from Trump.
At a White House press conference on Wednesday, the two leaders stood side-by-side, with Trump calling himself a “big fan” of Erdogan and praising their “great friendship.”
It is also unclear whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would allow legislation to be considered on the Senate floor that would deliver what would be seen as a sharp rebuke to the president while he is battling an impeachment inquiry in the Democratic-controlled House.
McConnell had put his name on a resolution last month condemning Turkey’s attacks on the Kurds after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northeastern Syria, but he said on the Senate floor this week that lawmakers should proceed with caution on Turkey.
“I urge this body to remain clear-eyed about our nation’s vital interests in the Middle East and the fact that advancing them will mean strengthening our relationship with this NATO ally, not weakening it further,” he said.
An aide close to Senate Republican leadership also noted that McConnell is not currently inclined to chastise the president unless absolutely necessary given that Trump is highly sensitive about what Republicans on Capitol Hill are doing to support him during impeachment proceedings. McConnell might only feel compelled to allow a vote on Turkey sanctions if the majority of Senate Republicans tell him they want it.
Talks between U.S. and Turkish officials over the S-400 sale and deployment intensified around Erdogan’s visit to the White House. Trump’s decision to include senior GOP lawmakers on foreign policy — Graham, Scott and Risch, among others — in an Oval Office meeting with Turkey’s leader was a rare acknowledgment of congressional authority amid bipartisan anger with his policies toward Turkey.
The administration was broadly condemned by Republicans and Democrats last month when Trump announced the Syria withdrawal, abandoning Kurdish forces to Turkish aggression despite their loyal fight alongside Americans in the battle against Islamic State.
In a briefing with reporters Thursday afternoon, Risch emphasized that Trump at no point interrupted to contradict Senate Republicans’ warnings to the Turkish head of state that they could push to impose sanctions.
When asked whether Trump expressly backed senators at the meeting, however, Risch briefly struggled with an answer.
“The president,” Risch said with an extended pause, “was there. The discussion was between myself and Erdogan and the other senators had some discussion with Erdogan. That was the primary discussion.”
“The president, I can tell you, was sitting right there when we delivered this very hard message,” he said. “Erdogan did not look to him for help and he did not offer help.”
