Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
Sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Turkey are shattering the U.S.’ reputation, warned Turkey’s foreign minister on Tuesday.
“The era of bullying must end,” Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the 10th Ambassadors’ Conference in the capital Ankara.
"If the U.S. wants to continue being a reputable country, it cannot do so with these impositions," he said, referring to the sanctions.
"We are against the U.S. or any country imposing sanctions," he added.
In Syria’s northern town of Al-Bab, which was purged of terror elements by Turkey’s 2016 Operation Euphrates Shield, local people are supporting the Turkish economy by converting their foreign-currency holdings into Turkish lira.On Tuesday, residents of the town, located in the north of Syria’s northwestern Aleppo province, organized a demonstration of support for Turkey outside a local forex office.Demonstrators waved Turkish flags and held placards reading, “Supporting the lira is wajib [i.e., a moral obligation]”, “You put down the [2016] coup; you will win the economic war being waged against you”, and, “The merchants of northern Aleppo are with you”, referring Turkish people.Russia's Lavrov, in Turkey, calls US sanctions policy illegitimateSome of them accompanied by their children, they chanted, “Turkey and Syria are one” and “Allahu Akbar [God is Great]!”.Sharif Abo, who came to the event -- waving a Turkish flag -- to buy Turkish lira, told Anadolu Agency: “I’m converting my foreign currency to lira to show support for the Turkish economy.”Asserting that support for Turkey’s currency would continue, he added: “As Syrians, we dedicate our property, lives and spirits to Turkey.”Turkish Airlines pulls ads from US media as Ankara-Washington row escalatesTen-year-old demonstrator Esra Osman, for her part, told reporters: “We children don’t have any foreign money to help with, but we can pray. May Allah protect the Turkish people and their leaders!”Civilians living in Operation Euphrates Shield’s area-of-operations first launched the “Support Turkey and the Turkish Lira” movement in May.Egyptian imam offers wife's jewelry to support TurkeyUS pastor in Turkey appeals for release, lifting of travel banErdoğan says Turkey will boycott US electronic products
Syrians of Al-Bab rally in support of Turkey's lira
Highlighting that Europe is also worried and reacting to the sanctions for two reasons, Çavuşoğlu said: "Firstly, for a stable and strong economy, Turkey is important for Europe and all its neighbors. Secondly, Turkey may be one of any EU or European countries tomorrow. All leaders at the NATO summit have seen this,” he said.
For his part, Lavrov said that the U.S.’ "unlawful and illegitimate" sanctions policy cannot last for long.
“We highly appreciate the rejection of our partners to join the anti-Russian sanctions,” Lavrov added referring Ankara's stance against newly imposed sanctions against Russia.
Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said on Tuesday that new U.S. sanctions against Ankara and Moscow were an illegitimate policy and a way for the United States to obtain an unfair competitive advantage in global trade.Lavrov was speaking at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Ankara.The U.S. dollar's role as a global currency is in decline and Russia has been exploring for some time using national currencies to settle bilateral trade deals with Turkey and other countries, Lavrov said.Turkish Airlines pulls ads from US media as Ankara-Washington row escalates"I'm confident that the grave abuse of the role of the U.S. dollar as a global reserve currency will result over time in the weakening and demise of its role," said Lavrov, who was speaking at a news conference with his Turkish counterpart."The use of national currencies for mutual trade has for several years been one of the tasks that the presidents of Russia and Turkey had set," said Lavrov."Identical processes have been happening in our relations with Iran. Not only with Turkey and Iran, we're also arranging and already implementing payments in national currencies with the People's Republic of China," Lavrov said.Erdoğan says Turkey will boycott US electronic productsOn Monday, the Kremlin said that Russia favoured bilateral trade with all countries in their national currencies, rather than the dollar, but that the idea needed detailed work before being implemented. Conditions exist for Syria refugee returnLavrov said Moscow was surprised at the West's position on Syrian refugees and the conditions were there for them to start returning home.US sanctions hurting its own reputation: Turkish FMSyrians of Al-Bab rally in support of Turkey's lira
Russia says dollar's days numbered as global trade currency
Sanctions on Russia
Çavuşoğlu said: “We have also made it clear that we do not agree with the EU's sanctions against Russia. We have also said that we do not agree with the sanctions against Iran.”
Asked about U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton’s meeting with Turkey's ambassador to the U.S. Serdar Kilic at the White House on Monday, Çavuşoğlu said the ambassodor “gave a very clear message” to the U.S.
“Our ambassador has clearly given this message: 'Pressure, threats and sanctions in relations with Turkey would only bring chaos. The U.S. can develop its relations with Turkey with dialogue by leaving aside the language of sanctions and threat,'” Çavuşoğlu said.
The Assad regime has amassed over 5,000 troops in Hilsea, Tel Madiq, Jisr ash-Shugur, Soran, Murak and the Turkmen Mountain area, all of which surround Syria’s Idlib, over the past three days. The 4th Armored Division, an elite formation of the Syrian Army commanded by Bashar al-Assad’s brother, has been stationed in the Idlib area.The Syrian opposition, which has fought incessantly against the barbarities and massacres of the Assad regime, has declared that it will not allow the regime to capture Idlib, which is the last opposition-held stronghold in Syria.“We will not allow Idlib, which is our last fort, to become like Ghouta. We are preparing to wage a life or death type of war across Idlib. Idlib will not become a Ghouta, Dara, Homs or Aleppo, as we will fight until our last drop of blood is shed,” Idlib’s Security Department General Fuad Suat told Yeni Şafak.Turkey, US conduct 29th round of patrols in ManbijOver the past four months, the Assad regime has increased by 1 percent its control over Syria, now controlling 109,136 of Syria’s total area of 185,180 square kilometers.With Russian air support, the Assad regime has recently seized previously opposition-held areas of Eastern Ghouta, Daraa, and Quneitra.Hundreds of thousands of opposition fighters to defend IdlibSuat stated that they have been fighting for seven years and that they will exhibit a great resistance in Idlib, where thousands of opposition fighters who have not surrendered to Assad have sheltered. He added that at present, 150,000 armed fighters were ready to defend Idlib, and that this figure would swell to 200,000.After losing Damascus’ Eastern Ghouta suburb in April, the military opposition and anti-regime armed groups left the Daraa and Quneitra provinces to regime forces, within the framework of a deal.Death toll in Syria blast climbs to 69The opposition’s area of dominance nationwide thus fell to 18,625 square kilometers, or about 10 percent of Syria.Today the opposition maintains control over the northwestern province of Idlib, western Aleppo, northern rural areas of Mt. Turkmen in Latakia, and the Al-Tanf region, near Syria’s borders with Iraq and Jordan.Foreign militias fight for Assad regime“Assad and his allies have dispatched 5,000 people around Idlib in the last three days. The forces that will clash with us in this region are mostly foreign militias, including the PKK, terrorists linked to Mihraç Ural from Lattakia and militias from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Bahrain. The forces that will attack Idlib are composed of 65 percent of foreign mercenaries, and we will defend our lands from occupying forces,” Suat said.YPG/PKK continues forced recruitment of youth in ManbijEntrusted to Turkey“We are all ready to die but we will entrust the women and children to Turkey to prevent them from being massacred or captured and tortured. This is our final request from the Turkish government and honorable Turkish people, who have shouldered our burden during the past seven years. The Syrian opposition will always stay connected to the direction, recommendations and requests of Turkey without expecting anything in return,” Suat added.Death toll in Idlib risesThe death toll from an explosion in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province has risen to 69, according to the White Helmets civil defense agency. Among the victims were 35 women and children, White Helmets official in Idlib, Mustafa Haj Youssef, said on Monday. On Sunday, Haj said that 32 people had been killed in the blast that took place in Sarmada district, where civilians displaced from the northern Homs province live. According to Haj, some 50 people have been injured in the explosion, which destroyed two 6-storey buildings inhabited by displaced civilians.Syrian Turkmens urge for protection of Latakia regionAssad regime violates de-escalation zoneLocated in northwestern Syria near the Turkish border, Idlib was designated a “de-escalation zone” in May where acts of aggression are expressly forbidden.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on protesters with unexpected ferocity.UN officials estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict.Fifth convoy sets out from Syria’s Daraa for Idlib
‘We will not allow Idlib to become Ghouta’
He also said that the U.S. Embassy’s charge d’affaires will visit jailed American cleric Andrew Craig Brunson.
Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on two government ministers for not releasing Brunson, who faces terrorism-related charges in Turkey.
President Donald Trump on Friday ramped up his attack on Turkey by doubling U.S. tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel imports.
Precautions in Syria
Turkish FM said that he will discuss what could be done or which precautions could be taken in Syria’s Idlib with Lavrov.
“It is clear what we should do in Idlib. Yes, we have 12 observation points there,” he added.
Çavuşoğlu said there are armed terrorist groups in Idlib, which are a threat particularly to civilians and opposition groups.
Bombarding all of Idlib just because there are some terrorists there is tantamount to a “massacre,” warned Çavuşoğlu.
“The aim of these observation points are to determine when there are conflicts or violations, or a party disrupting a cease-fire, and, as guarantors, taking measures toward these.
"Since the moderate opposition and the people are very disturbed by these terrorists, we have to fight against them altogether, we have to succeed. It is crucial for us, for the security of our countries, for the future of Syria,” he added.
The five-day ambassadors’ conference is hosting 249 Turkish ambassadors and two charge d'affaires, as well as a number of foreign diplomats.