Erdogan and Trump Reuters US President Donald Trump told journalists on Tuesday he was looking at imposing sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the S-400 Russian missile system, though he also blamed his predecessor for not selling Ankara a US missile system.

Sitting alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump was asked whether he would issue sanctions on Turkey over the purchase of the S-400 missile system.

“We are looking at it now, and we’re talking about it now,” he replied, according to Reuters .

“As you know Turkey wanted to buy our Patriot system and the Obama administration wouldn’t let them, and they only let them when they were ready to buy another system,” he added.

Ankara and Washington have been at loggerheads over Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 system, which the United States says is not compatible with NATO defenses and poses a threat to Lockheed Martin’s F-35 “stealth” fighter jet.

The first parts of the S-400 air defense system were delivered to Turkey in July. Russia then delivered a second battery of S-400s in August.

US has threatened Turkey with sanctions, but said it would be spared from these measures under a 2017 law if the S-400 system is not turned on.

Turkey, for its part, has made clear it will use the Russian system despite US threats of sanctions.

Tags: Turkey , sanctions , US-Turkey , Donald Trump , S-400