Turkey court rejects new appeal to release detained US pastor
Ankara’s continued detention of Andrew Brunson on terror-related charges has sparked a severe diplomatic crisis between the NATO allies
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A Turkish court on Wednesday rejected a new appeal to free US pastor Andrew Brunson, whose detention has sparked a severe crisis in relations between Turkey and the United States, local media reported.
The court in the western city of Izmir rejected the appeal and ruled that Brunson will remain under house arrest, the state television TRT reported.
Earlier on Wednesday, Turkey said it was increasing tariffs on imports of certain US products in response to American sanctions on Ankara that caused the value of the lira to plunge.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said that the rises were ordered “within the framework of reciprocity in retaliation for the conscious attacks on our economy by the US administration.”
Ankara said it will impose extra tariffs on imports of products including rice, vehicles, alcohol, coal and cosmetics. Tariffs on American cars were doubled to 120 percent while tariff on alcoholic drinks to 140 percent.
The hikes were published in Turkey’s Official Gazette in a decree signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The move comes after US President Donald Trump announced last week that the United States was doubling steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey, as the two NATO allies quarrel over Brunson’s detention.
The tensions and the tariff hike by the US have caused the Turkish lira to bleed value, fanning fears the country is on the verge of an economic crisis that could spillover into Europe.
Erdogan has repeatedly described the crisis as an “economic war” that Turkey will win.
Investors are worried not only about Turkey’s souring relations with the US, a longtime NATO ally, but also Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s economic policies and the country’s high debt accumulated in foreign currencies.
Relations between the two NATO allies have plummeted in one of their worst crises in decades as Trump tries to secure the release of Brunson, an evangelical pastor from North Carolina being tried in Turkey on espionage and terrorism-related charges.
On Monday, the US president signed a defense authorization act that notably prohibits the delivery of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Turkey if it buys Russia’s S-400 air defense system.
Turkey entered into an understanding to the Russian defense system despite being a NATO ally, and has been increasingly cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, alarming both the US and EU.
On Tuesday, Erdogan announced that Turkey would boycott US electronic goods, singling out iPhones. He suggested Turks would buy local or Korean phones instead, although it was unclear how he intended to enforce the boycott.
The Times of Israel Community.