Turkish leader: Sanctions won’t sway us

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s president said his government would not back down and was willing to “go its own way” if the United States imposes sanctions over an American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ended his silence late Saturday on the escalating diplomatic dispute involving Andrew Craig Brunson, 50. The evangelical pastor was arrested in December 2016 and jailed until he was released to home detention last week.

“They cannot make Turkey back down with sanctions,” Turkish media quoted Erdogan saying during an official visit to southern Africa.

“The U.S. should not forget that unless it changes its attitude, it will lose a strong and sincere partner like Turkey,” he warned.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced possible sanctions against Turkey, a NATO ally, for its treatment of Brunson.

In an interview that aired Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence reiterated that there would be consequences if Erdogan’s government did not free Brunson and drop the charges.

“Transferring Pastor Andrew Brunson to home arrest is just not good enough, and the United States of America is prepared to bring sanctions against Turkey until Pastor Andrew Brunson is free,” Pence said in the interview on Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures.