Turkey will not be able to bear potential U.S. sanctions over its looming purchase of Russian S-400 defence systems and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan should not sacrifice the country’s economy over for anti-U.S. sentiments, consultant to the U.S. Department of State John Sitilides told the VOA Turkish.

"If Turkey formally enters a recession, it may be forced to take out a loan from the IMF to save its economy,’’ Sitilides said, adding that uncontrollable inflation, unemployment and a serious debt crisis are knocking on Ankara’s door.

The statement form Sitilides joins that of a chorus of top U.S. officials in warning that Ankara’s purchase of the Russian system could lead to U.S. sanctions and place Turkey’s involvement in the F-35 fighter jet programme at risk, Ahval reported.

The U.S. State Department consultant said that Turkey was experiencing its weakest economy in over two decades and as such Erdoğan should be careful to not wreak havoc in the country’s economy  "to collect points in domestic politics’’ or stir up  "anti-U.S. or anti NATO sentiments."