Erdogan dismisses Trump’s threat of sanctions over detained American pastor
2018-07-30 10:08:53 source：The Washington Post
July 29, 2018
ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday pushed back at President Trump’s threat to impose sanctions on Turkey for its nearly two-year detention of an American pastor, saying his government would stand firm and the United States risked losing a “strong and sincere partner.”
Erdogan, speaking to reporters during a visit to South Africa, also confirmed a report in The Washington Post that Trump had intervened to help secure the release of a Turkish citizen held by Israel on terrorism charges. But he denied that Turkey had offered to release the pastor, Andrew Brunson, in exchange for Trump’s intervention. “That type of negotiation didn’t happen,” Erdogan said.
The remarks were Erdogan’s first public response to an angry message Trump posted on Twitter on Thursday, warning he would levy “large sanctions” against Turkey over the imprisonment of Brunson, who has been accused by Turkish authorities of supporting terrorist groups. U.S. officials say he is innocent.
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