Turkey prepares retaliatory sanctions against the United States
The Turkish Foreign Ministry is preparing retaliatory sanctions against the United States after US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions against Ankara for its offensive in northeastern Syria, Turkish President's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Wednesday.
On Monday, Washington announced sanctions aimed at punishing Turkey for its attack on the Syrian-Kurdish militia. In particular, duties on the import of Turkish steel were doubled to 50%. However, Trump's critics said the measures were too lenient and insufficient to influence Erdogan's resolve.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Ibrahim Kalin also said that US officials were clearly told that Turkey would not declare a ceasefire in northern Syria and that it would not negotiate with Kurdish militants.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he would not talk with US Vice President Mike Pence, who had arrived on an urgent visit. Erdogan said he will only speak with US President Donald Trump when he arrives in Ankara.