Turkey threatens to retaliate US sanctions

Turkey has said it will retaliate US's sanction on two of it's ministers.

In a written statement by the country's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, Turkey strongly protests against a decision by the US Treasury Department to impose sanctions on two ministers, threatening it will retaliate.

An equivalent response to this aggressive attitude will be given without delay, it said.

The ministry also called on the US administration to reverse its “wrong decision”.

There is no doubt that the decision, which disrespectfully intervenes in our judicial system, stands in contrast to the essence of our relations and will seriously damage the constructive efforts made in order to resolve problems between the two countries, it said.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in a Twitter post said;

US attempt to impose sanctions on our two ministers will not go unanswered.

He also said the two countries would not resolve issues unless the US administration realizes that Turkey will not give in to unlawful US demands with this method.

On his Twitter account, one of the ministers targeted for sanctions, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül, said he does not own any property or have money outside Turkey.

He added that his only dream was to live in Turkey until the end of his life.

White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders had previously, said the US would impose sanctions on Turkey’s ministers of justice and interior for not releasing American Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey.

Sanders said the US would block the properties, if any, of the two ministers.

In a written statement published Wednesday, the US Treasury Department said Gül and Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu “played leading roles in the organizations responsible for the arrest and detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson”.

According to US law, those mentioned on the sanctions list will have any of their assets and properties under US jurisdiction blocked and American businesses and individuals will be prohibited from engaging in financial transactions with them.