Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the U.S. on Saturday that his country does not respond to threats, a day after President Donald Trump sent the lira into freefall by announcing he would double the rate of import tariffs on Turkish metals, NBC News reported.
The two governments have clashed over a range of issues including the Turkish detention of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson on terrorism charges, the U.S.-backing of Kurdish troops in Syria and Turkey’s intention to buy Russian defense systems.
Turkey is also frustrated at U.S. unwillingness to extradite Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen, who Erdogan accuses of staging a failed 2016 coup attempt.
"You can never bring this nation in line with the language of threats," Erdogan told a crowd of supporters in the Turkish town of Unye on the Black Sea coast. "I am once again calling on those in America: It is a pity that you choose a pastor over your strategic partner in NATO," he said.
