Turkey backs down: We do not intend to launch a trade war against any party

Turkey backs down: We do not intend to launch a trade war against any party

Speaker: Trump's management targets its partner

23/08/2018 - 11:38 Middle east



A spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has presented what he called "evidence" that the US administration is targeting its partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as part of an economic war.

In response to an interview by US national security adviser John Bolton with Reuters, spokesman Abraham Kalin said in a written statement on Wednesday that US administration policies in recent times ran counter to NATO's core principles and alliance values.

There is a heated dispute between Turkey and the United States over a US priest on trial for terrorism in Turkey. The dispute fueled the fall of the Turkish lira, which has lost more than a third of its value against the dollar since the beginning of this year.

Bolton said during a visit to Israel that he was skeptical about the Emir of Qatar's pledge to provide investment support to Turkey worth $ 15 billion, and considered it "not enough at all to affect the economy of Turkey."

"His remarks are evidence that the Trump administration is targeting an ally in NATO as part of an economic war," Calin said.

"Trump's management ... has shown that it intends to use trade, tariffs and sanctions to launch a global trade war," he said, referring to similar disputes with Mexico, Canada, Europe and China.

"Turkey has no intention of launching a trade war against any party, but it can not be expected to remain silent in the face of attacks on its economy and its judiciary," he said.

Kalin said Turkey would work with the rest of the world in the face of restrictive and punitive measures.

"The administration's recent policies contradict the fundamental principles and values ​​of NATO."

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