Blinken says Turkey, others, should refrain from new purchases of Russian weapons

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken participates in a virtual bilateral meeting with Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari during a videoconference at the State Department in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Turkey and all U.S. allies on Wednesday should refrain from making further purchases of Russian weaponry, threatening the possibility of more sanctions.

Frayed relations between NATO allies Turkey and the United States were further tested over the weekend after President Joe Biden recognized the 1915 Armenian massacres as genocide, infuriating Ankara.