US 'offers Turkey free trade agreement in return for deactivating S-400'

Trump's message promising free trade agreements was delivered to Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in return for reversing course on Turkey's purchase.

"The S-400, that problem can be solved, and the relationship can flourish," Graham said he told the foreign minister. "This can be a win-win. If the S-400 is activated, then the relationship takes a very dark turn."

"My pitch to Turkey was: Let's stand down on the S-400, let's start free trade agreement negotiations, which would change the Turkish economy, would help the American economy, will give us a much closer economic relationship," Graham said, according to US media reports.

"The S-400 is a $4 billion purchase. They've had to be removed from the F-35 program, that's a $10 billion loss. If there was a free trade agreement negotiation that resulted in a product it would fundamentally change Turkey's economy. What I'm asking for is cooler heads to prevail."

Turkey began receiving parts for the S-400 earlier this month. Trump has so far taken a soft line on Turkey over its purchase, saying on Thursday that he did not envisage sanctions "for now".

But Washington responded by kicking Turkey out of its F-35 fighter jet programme - a loss of billions of dollars for Turkish defence contractors.

The US says Russia could glean technical secrets about the new fighter jet if it is operated alongside the S-400.

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