Turkey will respond if US imposes more sanctions, says minister

Published August 17, 2018
In this file photo taken in July, 2018, US President Donald Trump speaks with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a working dinner in Brussels. — AFP
In this file photo taken in July, 2018, US President Donald Trump speaks with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a working dinner in Brussels. — AFP

Turkey on Friday threatened to respond if the United States (US) levied further sanctions over the detention of an American pastor, which has sparked a diplomatic standoff and battered the Turkish currency.

“We've already responded based on the World Trade Organisation rules and will continue to do so,” Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Washington warned on Thursday that it would impose more sanctions unless pastor Andrew Brunson, described by US President Donald Trump as a “hostage”, was released.

Brunson's detention since October 2016 on terror-related charges has soured relations between the two Nato allies, sending the Turkish lira into a tailspin.

The lira, which earlier this week traded at well over seven to the dollar, was at 5.8 against the dollar and 6.7 against euro on Friday.

Last week, Trump tweeted that his administration was doubling aluminium and steel tariffs for Turkey, and in response Ankara sharply hiked tariffs on some US products.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin suggested on Thursday the next spiral of tit-for-tat sanctions was coming soon, in a sign of a deepening spat.

Trump prefaced Mnuchin's remarks by saying that Turkey had not been a very good friend to America.

Referring to Brunson, Trump said: “They have a great Christian pastor there, he's a very innocent man."

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.