Sanction over minister
WASHINGTON: The United States yesterday imposed sanctions on two top officials in Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s Cabinet in a new attempt to get Nato ally Turkey to turn over an American minister of religion accused of backing a coup attempt against Erdogan two years ago.
The US Treasury Department acted against Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu over the country’s imprisonment of Andrew Brunson. The US has blamed both for being involved in Brunson’s arrest and detention.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry called Washington’s action a ‘‘hostile stance’’ and said it would retaliate. Relations between the United States and Turkey have plummeted over Brunson, who was in custody for 21 months in a Turkish prison until he was transferred to house arrest last week.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters: ‘‘We’ve seen no evidence that Pastor Brunson has done anything wrong, and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust detention by the Government of Turkey.’’
On Tuesday, a Turkish court rejected Brunson’s appeal to be released from house arrest during his trial on terrorism charges.
Anticipation of the US sanctions had already helped to send the Turkish lira to an alltime low against the dollar.
Brunson was accused of helping supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the USbased cleric who Turkish authorities say masterminded the 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan. — Reuters