Iran Press- Ankara will respond in the event Washington imposes more sanctions against Turkey, according to Trade Minister, Ruhsar Pekcan, on Friday.
"We've already responded based on the World Trade Organization rules and will continue to do so," Pekcan said, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
The statement was published just a day after Pekcan announced that Turkey would challenge the recently imposed US tariffs at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Sputnik reported.
The WTO appeal comes as a response to US President Donald Trump's announcement on August, 10 that he had authorized the doubling of the previously imposed import tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel to 20 percent and 50 percent, respectively. This move subsequently triggered the Turkish lira to lose about 20 percent of its value in a several days and reach historic lows.
Meanwhile Erdogan had earlier asserted that Turkey does not “give credit for using such threatening language."
Brunson, who ran a small church in Turkey for more than 20 years, was arrested in December 2016 over allegations of having helped a group that Ankara says was behind a failed military coup in July 2016.
Tensions between the two countries have also risen due to an Izmir court’s refusal to release the US missionary Andrew Brunson, who was arrested in October of 2016 for reportedly playing a role in that year’s failed coup attempt. Washington has introduced sanctions against members of the Turkish government, citing the case and insisting that the pastor is innocent.
Read more:
Turkey increases tariffs on some US imports
Turkey to freeze US assets
Turkey boycotts US electronic products
US sanctions on two Turkish ministers over detention of American pastor
