Erol Bilecik, chair of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD)
A top Turkish business leader on Tuesday blasted recent threats against Turkey made by the U.S. administration.
Turkish businesspeople disapprove of the remarks of U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, said Erol Bilecik, chair of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD), while visiting Parliament Speaker Binali Yıldırım.
"We can never approve of the remarks of Pence and Trump, especially over social media," Bilecik told reporters.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey will stand its ground after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to slap sanctions on Ankara if it does not free an American pastor.The friendship between the United States and Turkey is on the line in this dispute, Erdoğan said. "We will not take a step back when faced with sanctions," Erdoğan said. "They should not forget that they will lose a sincere partner."Brunson was transferred to house arrest Wednesday after being detained in the Aegean province of Izmir in December 2016. He was charged with spying for the PKK, a designated terrorist group in the U.S. and Turkey, and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group Turkey accuses of being behind the defeated July 2016 coup attempt.The Izmir 2nd High Criminal Court cited Brunson's health in its decision to transfer him to house arrest.The court decided to allow Brunson to live at his home address in Izmir, but barred him from "abandonment of residence" and also imposed a ban on him leaving the country.After the decision, the cleric left prison with a police escort after completing certain procedures.Extensive security measures have been taken at the Brunson residence.Diplomats have been working to settle the tense dispute and on Saturday U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed the status of the pastor with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, the State Department said. 
Erdoğan: Turkey will stand its ground faced with US sanctions
He added that the remarks were "not part of a solution but the issue."
Bilecik called on the two countries to make statements "with high diplomacy and aim for a solution."
Relations between the countries soured after Trump and Pence threatened on Twitter to impose sanctions on Turkey over American pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who faces terrorism-related charges.
The Turkish-U.S. relationship can be saved and improved provided that "the U.S. administration takes Turkey's security concerns seriously," Turkey's presidential spokesman said.In a column, titled “Basic rule of Turkish-US relations: Mutual respect and shared interest,” published on Saturday in Daily Sabah, Ibrahim Kalin said the U.S. took a series of steps in recent years to undermine its strategic partnership with Turkey and weaken a relationship that had been strong and mutually productive."Washington's Faustian pact with that terrorist group, which the Obama administration promised would be "temporary, transactional and tactical," at the time, was adopted by the Trump administration last year. While it is true that the current administration has gradually distanced itself from U.S. Central Command's (CENTCOM) strategy and, as part of this effort, agreed to a road map for the YPG's long-awaited withdrawal from Manbij, the lack of a concrete policy change continues to haunt the relationship,” Kalin wrote.“Turkey is justified to expect that the U.S. disengage from the YPG militants, who are currently in talks with the Assad regime, without delay," he added.Kalin said Trump administration's "unwillingness" to take concrete steps to investigate and prosecute crimes committed by Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) on U.S. soil has been "disappointing, to say the least, for Turkey."FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen were behind the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.The Presidential aide wrote that Turkey "cannot turn a blind eye to the actions of a NATO ally when they threaten its national security at home and abroad.""President Trump may have good intentions for relations with President Erdogan and Turkey," he said, adding: "This will certainly be reciprocated when the relationship is based on mutual respect and shared interest."Tension between the two NATO allies increased once again when U.S. President Donald Trump sent a tweet threatening to impose sanctions on Turkey if pastor Andrew Craig Brunson -- who faces terrorism-related charges -- is not released.Ankara has balked strongly at Trump threatening Turkey with sanctions if it does not release Brunson, who is charged with spying for the PKK -- a designated terrorist group in the U.S. and Turkey -- and the FETO.
Turkey expects 'mutual respect' in ties with US
Turkey’s judicial system will have the ultimate say on a detained American pastor, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül said Thursday in reaction to threatened sanctions by U.S. President Donald Trump against Ankara.Gül’s statement came shortly after Ankara responded to remarks by Trump in which he threatened the country with sanctions unless Ankara releases pastor Andrew Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey over terror charges.“Turkey is a fully independent and sovereign country that determines its own destiny,” Gül said on Twitter.“The Brunson case will proceed in its own way, as it should be in a fully independent and sovereign country, and supreme Turkish justice will have the ultimate say,” he added.Turkey denounces Trump’s threats of sanctionsTurkish FM speaks with US counterpart over phoneIn an attempt to interfere with NATO member Turkey's judiciary, Trump tweeted: "The United States will impose large sanctions on Turkey for their longtime detainment of Pastor Andrew Brunson."Brunson was transferred to house arrest Wednesday after being detained in Izmir province since December 2016. He was charged with spying for the PKK -- a designated terrorist group in the U.S. and Turkey -- and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group Turkey accuses of orchestrating the defeated July 2016 coup attempt.
‘Turkish justice will have final say on pastor case’
Brunson’s charges include spying for the PKK -- listed as a terrorist group by both the U.S. and Turkey -- and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the defeated coup attempt of July 2016.