Erdogan sticks to his position on Russian missile deal after meeting with Biden

When asked about the CAATSA sanctions imposed on Turkey, lawyers from Kirkland Ellis described them as “calibrated” but also potentially challenging to lift.

“The sanctions that were implemented are a bit more targeted,” explained Sanjay Mullick, a partner at Kirkland Ellis who specializes in the firm’s International Trade and National Security group.

“Here the focus was on licensing, technology, and not so much on prohibitions on any and all financial transaction. The takeaway is a bit more calibrated, although the sanctioning of a NATO ally is certainly meaningful,” he added.

“This is a step that is not typically seen in the relationship with such an allied partner, although in this case, perhaps prompted by Turkey’s engagement in activities which were contrary to prior U.S. foreign policy decisions such as those put in place against Russia in 2017,” Abigail Cotterill, counsel at Kirkland Ellis’ International Trade and National Security Practice Group, told CNBC.

When asked about any potential for the Biden administration to lift sanctions, the lawyers explained that unilateral action taken by the president may be unlikely given the complexity of the matter.

“Typically yes, the president can do and undo, or at least work with Congress to do and undo. This one’s a bit more pointed situation where there may be less flexibility and less agility, requiring a combination of legal authority and of course political will,” Mullick explained.

“We might expect to see at least some coordination, even if not required between the executive branch and Congress,” Cotterill added.

“This really fits in the larger context of U.S.-Russia relations and in a way, the sanctions on Turkey, quote-unquote, were a derivative of the law, that put in place a mechanism for sanctioning anybody fill in the blank if they engaged in certain activities with certain sectors of Russian defense,” Mullick said.

“And so Turkey happened to walk itself into that knowingly, unknowingly, I think knowingly,” he added.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/14/biden-and-erdogan-meet-as-us-sanctions-hang-over-turkey-following-russian-missile-deal.html