Erdogan accuses US of using pastor with ‘dark links’ to terrorists to justify sanctions
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the US of using a pastor with “dark links” to terrorists groups to justify imposing sanctions on Turkey.
Evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson, detained in Turkey on terrorism charges, has long been at the centre of the diplomatic spat between the two countries.
Read more: Turkish courts will decide the fate of American pastor at centre of US spa
Brunson's detention and subsequent house arrest has incensed US President Donald Trump, who doubled tariffs on aluminium and steel imported from Turkey after talks to instigate the pastor's release broke down.
Turkey hit back with duties on US cars, alcohol and tobacco.
The pastor is due to face trial later this month and could be jailed for up to 35 years if found guilty, while the US has demanded his immediate release.
Erdogan, addressing the country's parliament, also hoped to improve ties with the US as soon as possible and said Trump's administration would soon fix the “wrong approach” it had adopted towards Turkey.
He said the US had taken the wrong path by threatening and using blackmail instead of dialogue.
In another jibe, the executive president said the US had lost all credibility by engaging in trade wars with the world.
The Turkish lira has lost nearly 40 per cent of its value against the dollar this year.
Read more: Erdogan warns his patience with Turkey's central bank 'has limits
The troubled currency did finally gain some of that ground back last month when Turkey's central bank defied Erdogan and increased interest rates from 17.75 per cent to 24 per cent.
Erdogan told politicians that fluctuations in the lira did not reflect the economic reality and that the country would overcome “attacks on the economy”.
The lira improved to 5.95 against the dollar after his speech – its strongest valuation in more than six weeks.