Us President Donald Trump
Several U.S. media outlets criticized President Donald Trump on Friday for his decision to impose additional tariffs on Turkey.
Trump ramped up his attack on Turkey by doubling U.S. tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel imports to 20 percent and 50 percent, respectively.
A spokesman for the UN Secretary General said Friday the international body trusts Washington and Ankara to resolve an ongoing row."This is a bilateral matter and we trust and expect that the two countries will be able to resolve it bilaterally," Farhan Haq told reporters.Earlier this week, a Turkish delegation returned from Washington with no movement on the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey for terrorism charges.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 (FETO), the group behind the defeated coup attempt in Turkey of July 2016.Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul for not releasing Brunson.In a recent move, Trump announced that the U.S. has doubled aluminium and steel import tariffs on Turkey, fixing them at 20 percent and 50 percent respectively.*Betul Yuruk contributed to this report from the United Nations
UN trusts US, Turkey will resolve row
The U.S. media widely pointed to the current state of Turkish-American relations and the case of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey over terrorism charges.
New York Magazine criticized Trump’s move in an article titled ‘Why Trump’s Turkey Tariffs Are Worrying Investors’, which said Trump announced he would double his country’s metal tariffs on Turkey “despite the fact that he has no good reason for doing so”.
Turkey said on Friday it would retaliate to the raising of steel and aluminium tariffs by the U.S. administration.In a tweet, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said President Donald Trump's decision, which also violates the rules of World Trade Organization does not comply with "state seriousness".He said sanctions would only damage the relationship which has withstood the trials of time."Turkey always seeks diplomacy, dialogue, mutual understanding and goodwill while solving the problems."U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his attack on Turkey by raising steel and aluminium tariffs to 50 percent and 20 percent respectively.The U.S. decision is another salvo in the growing dispute between Turkey and the U.S.Earlier this week, a Turkish delegation returned from Washington with no movement on the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey over terrorism charges.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 (FETO), the group behind the defeated coup attempt in Turkey of July 2016.Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul for not releasing Brunson.The two NATO allies have been at odds since the defeated coup, which Ankara accused U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen and his FETO of masterminding.
Turkey to retaliate against Trump's metal tariffs
The article, written by Eric Levitz, said the decision was related to Brunson, and while imposing a high tariff on a country’s steel exports is not the most conventional way to secure his release, “it might prove an effective one”.
“Unfortunately, this still isn’t a good reason for Trump’s latest trade action — because it is an illegal one,” Levitz said.
“The president launched his steel and aluminum tariffs on the grounds that maintaining a robust domestic metal industry was a core national-security interest of the United States, and that competition with metal imports was threatening to drive said industry into extinction.
The U.S.' additional tariffs on steel imports from Turkey will take effect on Aug. 13, the White House and Department of Commerce announced Friday."To further reduce imports of steel articles and increase domestic capacity utilization, I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate to impose a 50 percent ad valorem tariff on steel articles imported from Turkey, beginning on August 13, 2018," Trump said in a proclamation released by the White House.Erdoğan warns US of harming its own interests, securityCommerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement that Trump increased the tariff rate from 25 percent to 50 percent on imports of Turkish steel."Doubling the tariff on imports of steel from Turkey will further reduce these imports that the Department found threaten to impair national security as defined in Section 232," he added.Trump said earlier on Twitter that he authorized the doubling of tariffs, noting that "aluminum will now be 20% and steel 50%. Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!"Trump attacks Turkey, doubles steel, aliminum tariffsThe White House and Commerce Department's statements did not mention the tariffs on aluminum.Turkey’s steel exports were valued at $11.5 billion last year, accounting for 7.3 percent of its total exports worth $157 billion, according to the Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association.The U.S. was the top destination for Turkish steel exports in 2017, which were worth $1.1 billion.Turkey came in sixth place among the countries the U.S. imported steel from last year, while Turkish steel's share was 7 percent of total U.S. steel imports.
US's additional steel tariffs on Turkey to begin Aug. 13
“This premise is absurd. But invoking national security is the only way to square Trump’s policy with U.S. law and WTO rules,” he added
U.S. channel CNN also said the White House “did not offer any explanation as to how U.S. national security is threatened” in the statement made regarding the topic.
The Washington Post newspaper said the U.S. administration was doing everything to strengthen its hand in the Brunson case, but the decision would do nothing but cause more problems for bilateral relations.
“I have just authorized a doubling of Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum with respect to Turkey as their currency, the Turkish Lira, slides rapidly downward against our very strong Dollar! Aluminum will now be 20% and Steel 50%. Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!” Trump said Friday on Twitter.
Turkey said on Friday it would retaliate to the raising of steel and aluminium tariffs by the U.S. administration.In a tweet, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said President Donald Trump's decision, which also violates the rules of World Trade Organization does not comply with "state seriousness".He said sanctions would only damage the relationship which has withstood the trials of time."Turkey always seeks diplomacy, dialogue, mutual understanding and goodwill while solving the problems."U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his attack on Turkey by raising steel and aluminium tariffs to 50 percent and 20 percent respectively.The U.S. decision is another salvo in the growing dispute between Turkey and the U.S.Earlier this week, a Turkish delegation returned from Washington with no movement on the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey over terrorism charges.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 (FETO), the group behind the defeated coup attempt in Turkey of July 2016.Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul for not releasing Brunson.The two NATO allies have been at odds since the defeated coup, which Ankara accused U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen and his FETO of masterminding. Turkey to retaliate against Trump's metal tariffs
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry responded, saying "President Trump's decision on imposing additional tariffs targeting our country's steel and aluminum exports, in complete disregard of World Trade Organization rules, cannot be associated with seriousness expected from a state".
Friday’s decision is another salvo in a growing dispute between Turkey and the U.S.
Earlier this week, a Turkish delegation returned from Washington with no movement on the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey over terrorism charges.
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 (FETO), the group behind the defeated coup attempt in Turkey of July 2016.
Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul for not releasing Brunson.
The two NATO allies have been at odds since the defeated coup, which Ankara accused U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen and FETO of masterminding.