President Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey will stand its ground after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to slap sanctions on Ankara if it does not free an American pastor.
"They cannot make Turkey back down with sanctions," Erdoğan told journalists late Saturday during a visit to South Africa.
"The US should not forget that it could lose a strong and sincere partner like Turkey if it does not change its attitude," he said.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced possible sanctions against Turkey, in retaliation for the treatment of Andrew Craig Brunson, who was detained in the aftermath of a failed 2016 coup against Erdoğan. The pastor is now under house arrest and faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty.
The latest remarks from Washington amount to "psychological warfare," according to Erdoğan.
INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION
It was not clear what would be the nature of sanctions threatened by Trump but Washington was already working on bills related to Turkey due to other issues of concern.
The U.S. Senate has demanded a block on sales of F-35 jets to Turkey unless Trump certifies that Ankara is not threatening NATO, purchasing defence equipment from Russia or detaining U.S. citizens. Also, a U.S. Senate bill to restrict loans to Turkey from international financial institutions passed through a committee, an important early step for the bill to become legislation.
Erdoğan said Ankara may seek to resort to international arbitration if the sale of the F-35 jets to Turkey is blocked.
"(If the U.S. blocks F-35 jets) We said we would go to international arbitration. If it comes to that point, there are other alternatives," he said.
'DID IRAN COLLAPSE?'
"They imposed sanctions to Iran. What happened? Did Iran collapse? When [former U.S. President Barack] Obama told us back then, I said 'I am sorry, but we are purchasing natural gas from Iran. How else will I supply natural gas if I cannot buy it?'" Erdoğan said.
U.S. and Turkish officials met on July 26 to discuss impending American sanctions on Iran - an issue that has the potential to cause a new flashpoint in relations between the Washington and Ankara.
Trump announced in May that he would pull the United States out of a 2015 agreement over Iran's nuclear program and would re-impose sanctions on Tehran. His administration threatened countries with sanctions if they don't cut off Iranian oil imports by early November.
Turkey, which imports a more than half of its oil supplies from neighbouring Iran, had earlier suggested that it did not intend to cut off trade with Iran, saying it was not obliged to abide by unilateral U.S. decisions.
U.S. Treasury officials have reportedly said in Washington that the U.S. may consider providing waivers from the sanctions to some countries which require time to cut oil imports from Iran.
Speaking to a small group of reporters in Ankara, Billingslea would not say, however, if Turkey would be granted exemptions.
BARGAIN CHIP?
The Washington Post on Friday reported a deal between Ankara and Washington was made to secure the release of a Turkish woman imprisoned in Israel in exchange for the freedom of Brunson.
Israel confirmed on Friday that Trump had requested Israel to release Ebru Özkan. She had been held for over a month by Israel on charges of passing hundreds of dollars to Hamas, but she returned to Turkey on July 16.
The newspaper said the agreement was "personally sealed" by Trump but fell apart when Brunson was transferred to house arrest.
Erdoğan addressed the claims, stressing that Ankara had "never made Pastor Brunson a bargaining chip."
"Ebru was already released but her passport was seized. We told her to 'go to the embassy and stay there.' They did not allow Ebru to leave Israel," he said.
"We told the Americans they could help Ebru, who was released and is not guilty, and facilitate her return to Turkey by giving her back her passport," said Erdoğan.
"But we never said we would give them Brunson in return," Erdoğan added.
