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Turkey FM says told Pompeo threats and sanctions won’t work
SINGAPORE, Aug 3, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu on Friday said he told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that
threats and sanctions will not work, after Washington targeted Turkish
ministers over the detention of an American pastor.
“We have said from the start that the other side’s threatening language and
sanctions will not get any result. We repeated this today,” Cavusoglu said in
televised remarks in Singapore after their meeting.
Pastor Andrew Brunson was held in prison for nearly two years before he was
moved to house arrest last week, disappointing American officials who
expected his release.
He is accused of carrying out activities on behalf of two groups viewed by
Ankara as terrorists: the movement of the US-led Muslim preacher Fethullah
Gulen blamed for the July 2016 coup attempt and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK).
Brunson, who led a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir, denies
the charges.
He risks up to 35 years in prison if found guilty. His next hearing is on
October 12.
The case is now at the centre of a bitter row between NATO allies Ankara
and Washington after the US on Wednesday imposed sanctions on the Turkish
justice and interior ministers claiming they played a major role in the
arrest and detention of the pastor.
The meeting was the first between the countries’ officials after Ankara
vowed it would respond to sanctions with retaliatory measures.
Before the meeting, Pompeo told reporters that he hoped Turkey would see
that the sanctions were “a demonstration that we’re very serious”.
Cavusoglu told Turkish media that he discussed how Turkey and the US could
move forward to “solve our issues” through close cooperation, dialogue and
taking steps together.
He added it was an “extremely constructive” meeting but warned that all the
issues would not be solved “after one meeting”.
“When we return to our countries we will continue to take steps together
and work together for these issues to be solved,” he added.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1324 hrs