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JAILED PASTOR: Turkey retaliates against US

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JAILED PASTOR: Turkey retaliates against US

The diplomatic spat between Turkey and the USA over the jailing of American pastor identified as Andrew Brunson is threatening to boil over.

Reports say Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the imposition of sanctions of two US officials in retaliation for sanctions imposed on its justice and interior ministers.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Turkey had been “patient” since the US sanctions were slapped on Abdulhamit Gul, the minister of justice, and Suleyman Soylu, the minister of interior, this week.

“I am instructing my friends today, we will freeze assets, if there are any, of the US justice and interior secretaries in Turkey,” Erdogan, speaking at a ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party meeting in Ankara, was quoted as saying by the official Anadolu news agency.

Erdogan’s comments are coming days after its foreign ministry called on Washington to reverse its “wrong decision” and also added that its ‘aggressive attitude serves no purpose’.

Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a written statement last Thursday: “The decision, which disrespectfully intervenes in our judicial system, will seriously damage the constructive efforts made in order to resolve problems between the two countries.”

Read also: Cold war between Russia & US over, Putin says

It added that the US’ “aggressive attitude serves no purpose,” and vowed that it would respond in equal measure.

According to White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s administration sanctioned Turkey’s minister of justice and minister of interior over the holding of 50-year-old pastor.

Brunson, a Christian pastor from North Carolina who has lived in Turkey for more than two decades was detained by a court in Turkey on charges bordering on spying and terrorism and now faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty.

 

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