US reaffirms 'solid' relations with Turkey

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara on Tuesday affirmed "solid" relations with Turkey despite recent tensions

The U.S. imposed sanctions on the Turkish ministers of justice and interior for not releasing American Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey.

"Despite the current tensions, the United States remains a stalwart friend and ally to Turkey; our two nations enjoy a vibrant economic relationship," said the Embassy on its Twitter account.

The Embassy also dismissed reports about U.S. officials allegedly predicting that the U.S. dollar would reach seven Turkish liras.

"This is a fabricated, baseless lie," added the Embassy.

Last week,the U.S. imposed sanctions on Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül for not releasing American Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey.

The Foreign Ministry strongly protested against the U.S. Treasury Department's decision, calling on the U.S. administration to reverse its "wrong decision".

Brunson has been accused by the Turkish authorities of spying for the PKK (which has been designated as a terrorist group by both the U.S. and Turkey) and U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen and the latter's Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which orchestrated Turkey's failed July 2016 coup attempt that left 251 martyrs in its wake.

Ankara also accuses FETO of carrying out a long-running campaign to overthrow the Turkish state through the infiltration of state institutions.