Turkey's finance minister, French counterpart discuss US sanctions, cooperation

ANKARA: Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire spoke by phone on Friday and discussed US sanctions steps against Turkey, agreeing to act together in response to such moves, Albayrak’s ministry said.

The statement said that the two ministers decided to work closely to develop cooperation between Turkey and France and agreed to meet in Paris on Aug. 27.

US threatens Turkey with more sanctions

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Thursday said that the United States would levy more sanctions on the troubled Turkish economy if Ankara does not release an American pastor.

“We have put sanctions on several of their cabinet members,” Mnuchin told President Donald Trump in a cabinet meeting attended by the press.

“We have more that we are planning to do if they don’t release him quickly,” Mnuchin said.

Trump prefaced Mnuchin’s remarks by saying that Turkey had not been a very good friend. Referring to imprisoned pastor Andrew Brunson, Trump said “they have a great Christian pastor there, he’s a very innocent man.”