By Merve Aydogan and Kubra Chohan
ANKARA
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin on Wednesday expressed Turkey's “deep disappointment” over the U.S. stance on the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson.
“If we are to mention any disappointment, we can say that Turkey is experiencing a deep disappointment in terms of its national interests,” Kalin told reporters at a weekly press briefing at the Presidential complex in capital Ankara.
“It is our expectation that the problems be solved as soon as possible. The U.S. administration must be respectful toward the judicial processes in Turkey,” Kalin said.
His remarks came after the White House spokeswoman expressed Washington’s “frustration” regarding the Brunson case.
Sarah Sanders said: “Certainly the President has a great deal of frustration on the fact that Pastor Brunson has not been released, as well as the fact that other U.S. citizens and employees of diplomatic facilities have not been released.
“And we’re going to continue to call on Turkey to do the right thing and release those individuals,” she added.
Criticizing the U.S. administration, Kalin said: “As they are taking relations with Turkey to a breaking point for one pastor, we have yet to see either the Obama or the Trump administration take any concrete steps towards Turkey’s rightful and urgent national security matters.”
“For years they said ‘We are with Turkey in combatting PKK. We are, and will do instant intelligence sharing,’ but when we look if these pledges are carried out perceptibly we did not see a satisfactory-level of cooperation from them [U.S.],” he added.
On Trump’s recent signing of a $716 billion defense spending bill which includes an amendment prohibiting sales to Turkey of the F-35 jets, Kalin said: “Turkey is not a country that is only a buyer of F-35 jets. It is a partner in the project. Until now, it [Turkey] has paid the necessary payments it was required to do so."
He dismissed the possibility that Turkey would back off from the project and added, “everyone should know that no process can be made by making such threats, blackmailing and sanctions against Turkey.”
Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions over 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 not in favor of economic war'
Kalin further went on to say that the PYD/YPG terror group are withdrawing from Manbij and its surrounding area.
“We expect it to withdraw completely to east of Euphrates,” he added.
Regarding the recent developments in Turkey’s economy, Kalin said, “Turkey isn't in favor of an economic war, but staying silent when attacked is out of question.”
“We see that it [the economy] has started to improve yesterday. It is our key expectation that this improvement will continue.”
“We predict that this normalization in the Turkish economy will become even stronger with the measures that our related institutions will take from now on.”
“Right now, Turkey is about to turn this crisis into an opportunity. Steps that are taken in this direction are already giving signals that this crisis will turn into an opportunity,” Kalin added.
The Turkish presidential aide also announced that the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would speak with German Chancellor Angela Merkel today and with French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone tomorrow.
As President Erdogan is expected to visit Germany on Sept. 28-29, Merkel on Monday expressed support for Turkey. She said an "economically prosperous Turkey" serves Germany's interest.
Regarding ongoing Astana talks on Syrian crisis, Kalin announced that the third working meeting within the scope of Astana talks will be held in Tehran on the first week of September.
The second meeting of the "Working Group on the release of detainees/abductees and handover of the bodies as well as the identification of missing persons by three Guarantors' representatives with the participation of the UN and ICRC experts" in the scope of Astana talks was held in Ankara on June 2018.
