Erdogan criticizes US metal tariffs

WASHINGTON — Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said it was wrong of the United States to try to bring Turkey into line with threats, a day after President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Turkish metal imports as relations between the two NATO allies have sunk to their lowest point in decades.

The two governments have been at odds over a string of issues including the detention of US pastor Andrew Brunson on terror-related charges, prompting the lira to hit record lows against the dollar.

“You can never bring this nation in line with the language of threats,” Erdogan told a crowd of supporters in the Turkish town of Unye on the Black Sea coast. “I am once again calling on those in America: It is a pity that you choose a pastor over your strategic partner in NATO,” he said.

After almost 20 months in a Turkish jail, Brunson was moved to house arrest in July by a court. Since then Trump and his Vice-President Mike Pence have repeatedly called for his release while Ankara said the decision was up to the courts.

Washington in response sanctioned two Turkish ministers and Trump on Friday announced it was doubling the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Turkey, saying relations with Ankara were “not good at this time”.

David Pollock, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that the US sanctions against Turkey was “partly in line with the overall sanctions effort, the trade war so to speak”.

“It appeals to (US President Donald) Trump’s political base and it’s part of his economic ideology or vision to try and restore traditional manufacturing sectors,” he said.

The Washington Post said that the steel and aluminum tariffs originally had nothing to do with the treatment of pastor Andrew Brunson, who is being detained by Turkey.

“They are tied to the trade fight that Trump launched earlier this year with a number of countries, including Turkey,” it said. “The Turkish currency has steadily weakened in recent months, removing some of the bite of the tariffs by making Turkish goods cheaper for US consumers. One way to address that, as Trump signaled Friday, is to double the tariff rate.”

It’s part of his (Trump) economic ideology or vision to try and restore traditional manufacturing sectors.”

David Pollock, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute