Erdogan accuses US of seeking to stab Turkey 'in the back'

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused the United States of seeking to stab Turkey "in the back" over a diplomatic row sparked by the detention of an American pastor.

"You act on one side as a strategic partner, but on the other you fire bullets into the foot of your strategic partner," Erdogan told a conference in the capital Ankara.

"We are together in NATO and then you seek to stab your strategic partner in the back. Can such a thing be accepted?" Erdogan asked.

Meanwhile, in a speech to ambassadors in Ankara on Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also spoken against the US.

The American pastor Andrew Brunson is at the center of the current dispute between Turkey and the United States. /VCG Photo

The foreign minister said Turkey has done enough to repair its ties with the US, adding that Washington had acted contrary to their alliance regarding fundamental security issues.

He also said the United States should learn that it will not achieve any results by threatening Turkey.

Turkey-US ties have particularly strained lately due to disagreement over the American pastor Andrew Brunson.

The evangelical pastor has been held by Turkey since 2016, for his allegedly involvement in a failed coup attempt that year.

The Trump administration has been calling for Brunson's release.

The Turkish lira on August 1 slumped to record lows of 5.0 against the dollar as the US hit Turkey's justice and interior ministers with sanctions. /VCG Photo

To add pressure on Turkey, at the beginning of the month, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Turkey's ministers of Justice and Interior.

As early as in March, the Trump administration imposed tariffs of 25 percent and 10 percent on steel and aluminum imports, from most trading partners, including Turkey.

And on Friday, Trump hit Turkey even harder by vowing to double steel and aluminum tariffs, which are scheduled to come into force on Monday.

The Turkish lira slumped 17 percent against the US dollar on Friday alone, after Trump's announcement.

Amidst the tensions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has started his two-day visit to Turkey since Monday.

The two sides are expected to discuss bilateral economic and trading ties, as well as Syria and the wider Middle East.

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters