Turkish government sends delegation to US to discuss crisis

Turkey's delegation to the United States, which is being sent in an attempt to fix a widening diplomatic rift, will hold its first meeting with U.S. officials on Wednesday
Tuesday, 07 August 2018 18:28

A Turkish delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal left for Washington Aug. 7 to resolve the current crisis in relations after the U.S. slapped sanctions against Turkey over the detention of pastor Andrew Brunson, while the two sides’ foreign ministers held a phone call on the same day.

The United States last week imposed sanctions on two Turkish Cabinet ministers over the treatment of Andrew Brunson, the pastor of an evangelical church in Turkey who is on trial on espionage and terror-related charges.

The dispute caused the Turkish currency to dip to record lows.

The Turkish lira plunged to 5.42 against the dollar Monday before making minor gains on Tuesday.

Turkish media reported that Ankara and Washington had reached a preliminary agreement over "certain issues" in the crisis and the details would be finalised in the delegation's visit.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had a phone conversation.

The US embassy in Ankara meanwhile issued an unusual statement dismissing as "unfounded and disturbing" reports in Turkish media which it said cited a US official as predicting the lira would hit 7 to the dollar.

"This is a fabricated and baseless lie," said the embassy.

"Despite the current tensions, the United States counts Turkey as a solid friend and ally. Our countries have a vibrant economic relationship," it added.