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Use of sanctions as ‘weapons’: Turkey cannot remain silent, says Erdogan

By REUTERS
September 26, 2018

UNITED NATIONS: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that his country could not remain silent over the use of sanctions as weapons while it is in a bitter standoff with the United States over the fate of an American evangelical Christian pastor detained by Ankara.

Turkey says the United States should respect the legal process for the pastor, Andrew Brunson, whose trial in Turkey on terrorism charges has infuriated US President Donald Trump.

In August, Trump authorized a doubling of duties on aluminum and steel imported from Turkey. Turkey also has doubled tariffs on US cars, alcohol and tobacco imports.

"None of us can remain silent to the arbitrary cancellation of commercial agreements and the use of economic sanctions as weapons," Erdogan said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

In addition to its decision to ramp up tariffs on imports of Turkish steel and aluminum, the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on two top officials in Erdogan’s Cabinet as part of its efforts to pressure Turkey into freeing Brunson.

"We are in favor of solving our problems through conducting a constructive dialogue on equal terms," Erdogan said. Ankara and Washington are also at odds over diverging interests in Syria.

Washington has expressed concern that Nato member Turkey’s planned deployment of the Russian-made S-400 could risk the security of some US-made weapons and other technology used by Turkey, including the F-35 jet.

Ties between Washington and Ankara hit a low in August when President Donald Trump announced steep new tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum in response to the detention of an American pastor in Turkey.

The Turkish lira has taken a beating on the currency market, sparking fears in Turkey of a full-blown economic crisis. "Nobody wants the world to experience a new economic rupture," said Erdogan.

He did not accuse the United States directly but pointed to "countries that are persistently trying to create chaos." "It is very easy to create chaos but it’s difficult to re-establish order, and today some countries are persistently trying to create chaos."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he was hopeful Turkey would release this month the American pastor, Andrew Brunson, who has been detained for nearly two years on terror charges.

Erdogan urged world leaders to crack down on followers of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Turkish preacher whom the president has accused of backing a failed coup in 20016 and considers the leader of a terror organization. Calling once again for his extradition, Erdogan alleged that Gulen was living in Pennsylvania "in a very well-off fashion."