Tensions between US and Turkey are continuing after America imposed sanctions on Turkish products in response to Turkey’s refusal to release an American citizen who is held in Ankara over terrorism-related charges.
While addressing reporters in New York yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will continue to maintain its ties with countries regardless of US imposing sanctions on them, MEM reports.
His comments were in relation to US president Trump’s statements in July at the NATO summit in Brussels where Trump claimed that Germany was held hostage to Russia for its dependence on Natural gas indicating the fact that Turkey as well imports natural gas from Russia.
“We are supposed to be guarding against Russia, and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia,” Trump had argued then.
While making it clear about it’s country’s business with Russia, Erdogan highlighted that Turkey receives around 50 percent of their natural gas from Russia but a situation like what the US President had stated is likely to never come true he said.
“If we don’t take it [natural gas], our citizens will be cold in the winter,” Erdogan said he replied to US president.
“Turkey’s stance on sanctions is clear since … We cannot take steps backward in [the trade of] strategic products.”
Erdogan also said that his country is looking forward to strengthening its ties with Russia and China, particularly in the area of defense.
With Russia already pledged to provide Turkey with the S-400 missile system next year, in a deal worth some $2.5 billion, relations between the two are likely to develop more in the near future.
“We have to meet the needs of our country in the best conditions,” he concluded. “It is not appropriate to try to block a country if there is free market economy involved.”