Turkey demands USA reverse sanctions over pastor Andrew Brunson
- by Kim Reid
- in Global Media
- — Aug 4, 2018
Berat Albayrak, Turkey's finance and treasury minister and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son-in-law, on Friday played down the idea that strains between the two countries would continue in the long term.
Erdogan's remarks came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met on the sidelines of a summit in Singapore on Friday and described the meeting as "constructive". "We consider this one of the many issues that we have with the Turks". "These are innocent people", he said. "But we have agreed to work together, closely cooperate, and keep the dialogue in the coming period", Cavusoglu said after the talks with Pompeo.
Turkey's lira tumbled to a record low beyond 5 to the dollar on Thursday, after Washington imposed sanctions on two of President Tayyip Erdogan's ministers over the trial of a USA pastor accused of backing terrorism.
The FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of 2016, which left at least 250 people dead and almost 2,600 wounded. Mr. Erdogan's government also alleges the Mr. Brunson has ties to a Turkish preacher now living in exile in the USA whom Ankara accuses of fomenting the coup.
The pastor, who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years, faces as many as 35 years in jail if found guilty.
Turkey says to retaliate against USA decision to impose sanctions over pastor
The United States has blamed both for being involved in Brunson's arrest and detention. Mr Brunson is accused of aiding plotters of an attempted coup in 2016.
"We are facing an economic war, but we will win it", Erdogan said, adding Turkey is issuing Chinese Yuan denominated bonds for the first time, and to overcome difficulties due to credit rating reports, Turkey is turning towards China for external borrowing. He was also charged with supporting outlawed Kurdish PKK militants.
It is unclear who that would affect, due to differing Cabinet roles in the United States than in Turkey, or if the intended officials even have any holdings in Turkey. Investors' deepening concerns have sent the lira to record lows and hammered local stocks, as well as Turkey's debt-risk profile. Gulen denies the allegations. He was recently moved from prison to house arrest. On Tuesday, a court rejected his appeal to be released from house arrest during his trial on terrorism charges.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who shares Brunson's evangelical Christian faith, have made his release a priority.
Erdogan said within the scope of action plan, the environmental impact assessment and survey project works of Canal Istanbul will be submitted for approval.
