Eye for an eye: Turkey sanctions two US ministers as tensions continue to rise

Tabnak – Although the foreign ministers of the US and Turkey agreed recently to get over their recent tensions, Turkish president today announced retaliatory measures against two American ministers. Meanwhile, the trade war between the two sides is also expected to continue.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Ankara will freeze the assets in Turkey of the US ministers of "justice and interior," in tit-for-tat response to US sanctions on his country over the detention of an American pastor.

"Today I will give our friends instructions to freeze the assets in Turkey of the American justice and interior ministers, if they have any (such assets)," Erdogan said in a televised speech. He, however, did not specify to which members of the US administration he was referring.

"Those who think that they can make Turkey take a step back by resorting to threatening language and absurd sanctions show that they do not know the Turkish nation,” he added.

On Wednesday, the White House announced that it was imposing sanctions on Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. The sanctions involve freezing any property or assets on the US soil held by the two ministers. The sanctions also prevent American citizens from doing any business with the two ministers.

Erdogan also said in a speech on Friday that his country is was “face to face with an economic war,” from which Ankara “will emerge victorious.” He made the remarks after the lira hit a fresh record low against the dollar amid rising tensions with Washington.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration on Friday launched a review of Turkey's duty-free access to US markets under the Generalized System of Preferences after Ankara imposed retaliatory tariffs on US goods in response to American steel and aluminum tariffs.

According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, The US Trade Representative's office said the review could affect $1.66 billion worth of Turkish imports into the United States that benefited from the GSP program last year, including motor vehicles and parts, jewelry, precious metals and stone products.

A USTR spokeswoman said the review was unrelated to issues surrounding Andrew Brunson, a US pastor on trial in Turkey for backing a coup attempt in Turkey two years ago - a case that has prompted US sanctions against two Turkish cabinet ministers.

Russian news outlet RT writes in a report that the extraordinary war of words this week between Washington and Ankara points to an ineluctable conclusion: the US has decided to get heavy with Turkey to bring it into line.

According to the report, now the question is, will Erdogan cave in to the pressure? The threat of US sanctions has plunged his country’s already troubled economy into a morass of pain, principally the loss of value in the Turkish currency and frightening away foreign investors.