Turkey and France agree to work together against US economic moves
The Turkish finance minister and his French counterpart on Friday agreed over the phone to conduct a joint action against U.S. sanctions targeting Turkey, according to the ministerial sources.
- Economy
- Daily Sabah
- Published Date: 12:00 | 18 August 2018
- Modified Date: 10:52 | 18 August 2018
Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire spoke by phone on Friday and discussed U.S. sanctions steps against Turkey, agreeing to act together in response to such moves, the Turkish 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.
Turkey and the U.S. have been locked in a heated crisis emanating from unjust sanctions and the actions of Trump, as Washington levied sanctions on Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül for not releasing American pastor Brunson, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey.
Turkey on Wednesday doubled tariffs on several U.S. goods, including alcohol and tobacco products and cars, after Trump increased U.S. tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel imports to 20 percent and 50 percent, respectively.
U.S. stocks suffered their worst day in seven weeks after the move, and the lira gained 7 percent against the dollar.
Since the recent developments, a number of countries, including Germany, China, Iran, Italy, and Qatar, voiced support for the Turkish economy and called for a diplomatic solution to the problems between the two NATO allies.