Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Sunday to close Incirlik air base, which hosts US forces, including US nuclear weapons.

Erdogan's threats come in response to potential US sanctions over Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 air-defense systems and in response to a US resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide.

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ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey could shut down its Incirlik air base, which hosts US nuclear warheads, in response to threats of US sanctions and a separate US Senate resolution that recognized mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

"If it is necessary for us to take such a step, of course we have the authority ... If this is necessary, together with our delegations, we will close down Incirlik if necessary," Erdogan said on A Haber TV.

Turkey can also close down the Kurecik radar base if necessary, he added. "If they are threatening us with the implementation of these sanctions, of course we will be retaliating," he said.

Turkey condemned the US Senate measure last week. Erdogan suggested on Sunday that Turkey could also respond with parliamentary resolutions recognizing the killings of indigenous Americans in past centuries as genocide.

Since 2000, the US has removed 40 nuclear bombs from Turkey, but about 50 of them are still stored at the base at Incirlik. However, Pentagon officials have been reviewing plans to remove the weapons, and a bipartisan bill still be considered would direct the Pentagon to quickly find other homes for US "personnel and assets" currently at Incirlik.

(Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; editing by Pravin Char)