Turkey remains defiant in row with US over pastor as deal falls through
A possible deal to end the US-Turkish row over an American pastor detained in Izmir appears to have failed after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heaped additional demands on an agreement.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has added to the Turkish government’s defiant rhetoric in the face of US sanctions over a detained North Carolina pastor, Andrew Brunson, who has become a lightning rod in the souring relationship between the two NATO allies.
Speaking at an Aug. 4 gathering of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, Cavusoglu said, “If you impose sanctions, you will be confronted with sanctions. What can you achieve with threatening language?”
